The Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry at University of the Pacific is expanding oral health care at community health centers in Northern California with a $550,000 grant from the California Dental Association Foundation. 

The funding will be used to establish clinical rotations in Napa and Merced counties for senior students in the school’s Doctor of Dental Surgery and International Dental Studies programs.

Students will participate in two-week rotations at two Napa clinic locations of CommuniCare+OLE and the Livingston Community Health Campus. The locations serve patients from areas considered to be dental health professional shortage areas by the Health Resources & Services Administration.

Working with onsite dentists at each of the centers, students will deliver a wide range of preventative and general procedures to a diverse patient population. Services will include exams, cleanings, fillings, emergency care and more.

“While patients will benefit from the care, our dental students will also benefit from the experiences they will receive working with patients from a wide range of demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds,” said Dugoni Dean Nader A. Nadershahi

The California Dental Association Foundation, in partnership with the state Office of Oral Health, approved two years of funding at approximately $550,000 to support the rotations. The school can apply for up to $1 million in the coming years to support new community outreach rotations.

“Dental students are the future of our profession’s workforce,” said Richard Graham, chair of the foundation’s Board of Directors. “Increasing their learning experiences with historically underserved communities will help them better address existing health inequities throughout the state.”

The California Dental Association Foundation also will work with other dental schools across California to expand rotations at federally qualified health centers to improve access to quality care and foster a health care workforce that can address current and emerging needs. This program will enhance the already significant role dental schools in California play as a part of the safety net.

“It has been a great experience to work with dental students during their clinical rotations,” said Pawanjeet Singh Pannu, dental director of Livingston Community Health. “This partnership has created a learning opportunity for students as well as professional development opportunities for the staff.

“Having students at our clinic site has increased access to care for our patients. Partnering for these clinical trainings can lead to more recruitment opportunities for health centers and eventually be helpful in increasing access to care for the underserved populations.”

In addition to the new rotations, the Dugoni School currently offers extramural clinic rotations at California Pacific Medical Center, La Clinica de la Raza, On Lok PACE, San Mateo Medical Center and Stanford Oral Medicine and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic.

The Dugoni School provides oral health care for nearly 20,000 patients each year across Northern California at its downtown San Francisco campus and through its extramural clinic rotations.