Sharp Need for Dental Care Unfilled for Many Immigrants

A few weeks ago, driven by the pain, Muñoz asked the Loudoun County Department of Family Services in Leesburg for help. They referred him to the Northern Virginia Dental Clinic, where April 6 he received his sixth treatment. "It was very hard for me," Muñoz said. "I'm not used to asking for help."

Although many argue that undocumented immigrants should not be entitled to health care, Wilson said the alternative could be more costly. A toothache could lead to missed work and a visit to the emergency room.

The clinic, where an appointment costs $40, is "only one answer to a very large problem," he said. The clinic takes referrals from 14 agencies and at just one, the waiting list has 120 names.

St. Anthony's Catholic Church, across the street from Culmore Court, handed out health questionnaires in 2002 to those sitting in pews. When 2,300 forms came back, the number one need among Latinos was dental services, said parish nurse Georgine M. Redmond. At least 70 percent said they needed help.

Details About Couple

Little is known about the two people arrested. Wendy Carolina Granada de Serrano, 30, and Ramiro Serrano Cardona, 39, told police that they live in El Salvador, and police confirmed that they had visiting visas. In court documents, the couple provided a Wheaton address, but records show that it does not exist.

Fairfax police spokeswoman Shelley Broderick said authorities do not know whether the couple worked as dentists in El Salvador. Both are charged with performing invasive procedures without a license, a felony, and possession of controlled paraphernalia, a misdemeanor.

Residents of the apartment say that the couple usually did not work out of it but that the lease holder had allowed them to use it that day.

"It was over here," a young female resident said in Spanish a few days after the arrest, pointing to a black plastic chair where the procedures took place. The chair occupies a corner of the scantily decorated living room. A bookshelf is empty, and small stuffed animals, such as Tweety Bird, dangle from the walls as makeshift decorations.

Above the television hangs a blue poster board, reading: " Justicia y Dignidad para todos los immigrantes" -- Justice and Dignity for all the immigrants.

Staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.