Inside a South Los Angeles classroom filled with plastic dinosaurs, building blocks, stuffed animals and Dr. Seuss books, Mireya Rodriguez counted Hendryk Vaquero’s teeth and looked for cavities.
At just 4 years old, he’d already had nine stainless steel crowns and multiple fillings, and his gums showed signs of inflammation and infection. He’d lost a couple of baby teeth, including a capped tooth his mom pulled out after it started bleeding.
