Children in foster care and behavioral health programs often arrive carrying health needs that went unaddressed for months or years. Dental care is among the most consistently overlooked. Christopher Sprout, a dentist in Golden, Colorado, has volunteered with Mount Saint Vincent in Denver, an organization that has served children in need for well over a century. That involvement reflects his broader conviction that access to good dental care is not a luxury, and that children, especially those navigating difficult circumstances, should not be left without it.
Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1883 by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Mount Saint Vincent has provided care and support to children in the Denver area for nearly 140 years. Originally established as an orphanage, the organization has evolved with the needs of the community it serves. Today it operates three core programs.
The community preschool serves children ages three to five, offering early learning in a structured and supportive environment. The pediatric behavioral healthcare program provides outpatient therapy, in-home therapy, telehealth services, and day treatment, with master’s-level clinicians trained in trauma-informed approaches including play therapy, parent-child interaction therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and trust-based relational intervention. The foster care program serves children from newborn through age 18, providing around-the-clock care and individualized support to foster families.
The thread connecting all three programs is trauma-informed, child-centered care. Mount Saint Vincent exists to serve children who need more support than their circumstances have provided.
The Oral Health Gap in Child Welfare
Children in foster care are disproportionately likely to have unmet dental needs. Instability in housing and caregiving makes consistent dental appointments difficult. Previous neglect, whether from a home environment that lacked resources or one that was actively unsafe, frequently shows up in a child’s oral health. Cavities, untreated infections, and developmental concerns that would have been caught and managed in routine care can go unaddressed for years.
These are not minor issues. Dental pain affects a child’s ability to eat, sleep, and concentrate. It makes school harder. Left untreated in early childhood, dental disease has long-term effects on permanent teeth and on a child’s relationship with oral health care going forward.
The Role of Volunteer Dentists
Access to dental care for children in foster and behavioral health programs depends heavily on providers who are willing to meet those children where they are. That can mean working within an organization’s environment, adjusting the pace and approach of care for a child who has had difficult prior experiences, and building trust before beginning treatment.
Christopher Sprout, DDS, approaches patient care by listening first. His clinical background includes general and cosmetic dentistry, and he has completed thousands of hours of continuing education in care that requires both technical skill and patient attentiveness. He holds Fellow status in the Academy of General Dentistry and the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies.
A Consistent Commitment
Dr. Sprout’s volunteer work with Mount Saint Vincent is part of a broader pattern of service. Across his community involvement, which also includes the MDDS Smile Again program, the AACD Give Back a Smile program, and the Denver Rescue Mission, he has contributed more than 400 hours. The common thread is not the specific population served but the orientation: that people who need care and cannot easily access it should not simply go without.
Mount Saint Vincent’s work in Denver can be explored further through coloradogives.org.
Read more about the connection between oral health and homelessness, or see what 400 hours of volunteer work looks like in practice. Learn more about Christopher Sprout, DDS.