Martha, Manos Patient

"I was always covering my mouth, and I was always just, you know – I felt very, very conscious of my bad teeth," Martha Hernandez said. Hernandez is no stranger to the dentist's chair. For as long as she can remember, she's had problems with her teeth. Growing up in Chihuahua, Mexico, the town relied on well water that wasn't properly treated.

"Everybody in the town had very yellow teeth, and it would be like a buildup. So when they brought me out of here to the states, it was not normal to be like that," Hernandez said.

Aesthetically, her teeth needed work. But then they started hurting. New to the country, the then-single mother of three had no insurance and couldn't afford going to the dentist. Luckily, she heard about Manos de Cristo, an organization that's been helping low-income people in the Austin community since 1988.

"If you let your mouth go, if you don't take care of cleaning your teeth, then yes, it can get into your bloodstream. The infection from your mouth can travel to your bloodstream, and it can cause problems with your stomach," Ballesteros said.

Hernandez knows about the complications firsthand. She's diabetic and has developed stomach problems. Throughout adulthood, she's had countless procedures such as root canals, implants and cavities. Manos de Cristo has certainly helped Hernandez get through. She's been working to fix years and years of poor dental care. Thankfully, she now has her healthy smile back – and she's filled with gratitude.

"I just want to say thank you. Thank you because it wouldn't have been possible with that – it wouldn't have be possible without this great organization," Hernandez said.

Story by Yvonne Nava - KVUE