4 ways private practice dentists can help improve pediatric access to care

Strengthening the ways in which children in our neighborhoods have access to quality dental care can be greatly influenced by practicing dentists in the area. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children from low-income families and ethnic minorities have been shown to have substandard oral hygiene, less …

Supporting underserved populations in Detroit

Detroit is a bustling, rapidly growing city, home to students, young professionals, athletes and a variety of businesses. Unfortunately, it is also home to communities that may be struggling to make ends meet, putting their health care needs on the backburner due to high treatment costs and lack of access. The more I witnessed this dilemma, the more I wanted help give these individuals the care that they normally could not afford.

Sign up for Give Kids a Smile 2017

Rutgers GKASOn a cold Friday this past February, when I was a second year dental student, I passed through the school atrium and saw student doctors dressed up as tooth fairies and playing games like Wheel of Dentistry. There were countless kids having their faces painted and laughing through a magic show while eagerly awaiting their dental visits. It was Give Kids A Smile Day at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM).

Using dental outreach as grassroots advocacy

girl at dentistThe American Dental Association wants to reduce the number of adults and children with untreated dental disease. Volunteer outreach events primarily serve this goal. Some patients travel hundreds of miles and wait for days in line just to get a tooth extracted. Many of these stories go untold, so it is our duty as future practitioners to speak for the underserved and get barriers to care at the forefront of the political agenda.

The ADA started the Action for Dental Health two years ago to combat access to care issues with three goals in mind: to treat patients in need now, to expand the private and public safety net, and to increase education and prevention. Read on to learn more.