AAPHD Student Run Clinic at the CDC

At the pilot session, students learned other roles besides the provider. D2 Leslie McGarvey worked at the sterilization station under the supervision of CDC staffs

The American Association of Public Health Dentistry-University of Michigan Student Chapter (AAPHD-UofM) was established in January 2010 by a group of first and second year students who were interested in learning more about public health dentistry and public policy. Previously led by public health dentist faculty, Dr. Woosung Sohn, AAPHD-UofM members explore public health issues at local and national levels. The mission of AAPHD-UofM is to create a sustainable relationship with the underserved community in Washtenaw County to promote oral health, prevent disease, and reduce disparities in oral health status, and promote public health science as a vital part of dental education. The group focuses on education, outreach, and interacting with some of the most well respected public health dentists in the world.

D3 student Jody Atzmon and D4 Stephanie Nunez worked together to extract and restore multiple teeth for the patients at AAPHD Student Run Clinic pilot session at the CDC

AAPHD-U of M recognized the potential of collaboration with the Community Dental Center (CDC) from early on due to its proximity and affiliation to the dental school. Inspired by other AAPHD student chapters’ successful Student Run Clinic programs (i.e. AAPHD-UIC: The Goldie’s Place), AAPHD-UofM members brainstormed to create a student-run dental clinic program at the UM-affiliated CDC. The Student-Run clinic would complement the existing Taft Free Clinic sessions which occur 3 times a year at the dental school to provide simple dental procedures to those in need by broadening the spectrum of free care provided by dental students.  CDC’s new director Dr. Bonita Neighbors had a similar idea and along with AAPHD-U of M members led by 3^rd year student JJ Ubonwan Sae-ung, started the project proposal to materialize the Student Run Clinic program at the CDC last fall.

Approved by the Dean of Clinics, Dr. Stephen Stefanac, the pilot session of the Student Run Clinic at the CDC took place on Saturday, January 14, 2012 in the honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Under the supervision of Dr. Neighbors and CDC team, AAPHD-U of M students from first to fourth years volunteered at the CDC from 8am to 3 pm to help the patients with services that included cleanings, restorative treatments (fillings), oral health instruction, and extractions. Pre-dental students and underclassmen (D1-D2’s) participated in reviewing patient’s medical history, assisting, working the sterilization, and helping patients with the survey evaluations. Patients seen at the pilot session were patients of records who are below the poverty line with dental needs so extensive that extractions would have been the only option due to their financial strain. Overall, fifteen patients were treated and student volunteers produced more than $8,000 in dental procedures on that day. Ann Arbor Links Incorporated, Benco Dental, and the MDA kindly sponsored the pilot session. MSU student, Robert Camilletti, participated in the post-session evaluation process to offer an unbiased opinion. D3 student Andrew Horne donated photography talent.

AAPHD- U of M Chapter pledged to fund the future Student-Run Clinic sessions at the CDC. We are still in need of funding. If you are interested in becoming a member or making a donation to AAPHD-UofM to allow us to continue to help others in the community, please contact JJ at ubonwans@umich.edu. Donations to UM student organizations are tax-deductable!

D3 JJ Saeung is a current president of AAPHD-UofM. Please contact her for more information about the group!