Ann Arbor, MI - February 6, 2009 - The University of Michigan School of Dentistry's community outreach program, where dental and dental hygiene students provide oral health care to patients at dental clinics across the state, is now an international program. In addition, the time dental students are away from the School providing oral health care in communities has increased to eight weeks from five.

From February 14 to 20, third-year dental students and two dentists will travel to Hagley Gap, Jamaica, as part of a University-wide collaboration called Students for Jamaica. Students for Jamaica is an interdisciplinary collaboration of U-M students who want to make a difference in developing countries by providing dental and medical care as well as other services that range from infrastructure improvements to economic development.

The seven dental students will assess the oral health needs of the community, provide emergency services, pain management, and oral hygiene education according to Dr. Bill Piskorowski, the School of Dentistry's director of Outreach and Community Affairs. The School of Dentistry is partnering with the Blue Mountain Project, a nonprofit organization that provides health care, education, and other programs to residents of Hagley Gap, a village of about 1,000 located about 10 miles east of Kingston. Drs. William and Therese Shortt, who earned their dental degree from the U-M School of Dentistry in 1987, will supervise the dental students.

Another School-approved international rotation begins in July when six dental students will travel to Quito, Ecuador, to provide oral health care. Under the auspices of the University's Global REACH Program, an international endeavor launched by the Medical School in the late 1990s, dental students will join their colleagues from the medical school and offer a range of no-cost health care services as a part of the Quito Project.

The School of Dentistry's participation in this initiative began nearly two years ago after Dr. Howard Graef started a dental clinic and took his daughter, Martina, who earned her dental degree from U-M in 2008, and three other dental students with him. "All were excited, both during and after, about their work and the difference they made in peoples' lives," Howard Graef said. "Last year, six fourth-year dental students participated and saw nearly five hundred patients. We're planning to travel there again with U-M dental students this summer."

Background

Community outreach is a long-term tradition at the School of Dentistry. Since the 1930s, dental and dental hygiene students have provided oral health care at locations across Michigan, typically during the summer.

Outreach took a major step forward in 2000 when dental and dental hygiene students began working in clinics outside the dental school during the academic year. Now fourth-year dental students participate for eight weeks at 19 sites in 14 different Michigan communities.

Those efforts have helped thousands across Michigan. More than 55,670 patients have been treated and 85,300 procedures performed in just the past six years.

More Michigan Outreach, Some National Outreach

Three new opportunities have recently developed - one with a non-profit organization that administers more than a dozen dental clinics statewide, a second with a private practice, and the third at an Indian Health Services dental clinic in the Upper Peninsula.

"We want our students to experience all aspects of general practice dentistry, and in different environments, before they make any long-term decisions about their future," Piskorowski said.

The School is now sending fourth-year students to Michigan Community Dental Clinics in Petoskey, Alpena, Gaylord, and Manistee. MCDC is a non-profit organization that administers dental clinics in 16 communities across the state and serves low income, uninsured individuals on behalf of public health departments.

The private practice initiative is with Plymouth Dental Associates of Plymouth, Michigan. Students work at the totally digital office three days a week providing oral health care to seniors on fixed incomes. "This is a student's first outreach experience in a private practice environment," Piskorowski said. "Since most of our students go into private practice, this experience is giving them a taste of what it's like to work in this setting before they graduate."

Last December, students began one- and two-week rotations at the Bay Mills Health Center, a federally qualified and Indian Health Services tribal health center in Brimley, Michigan, about 12 miles southwest of Sault Ste. Marie. However, because of the distance from Ann Arbor, approximately 330 miles, the rotations are now two weeks long.

"In addition to helping their tribal members, the Bay Mills clinic is perhaps the largest provider of heath care services to Medicaid recipients in the eastern upper peninsula," Piskorowski said. "We have been working with the Indian Health Service to give our students opportunities to work at this IHS site, others in Michigan, and, eventually several around the country," Piskorowski said. "I think some of our students gave more consideration after IHS dental director Dr. Tim Lozon spoke here last fall about career opportunities."

IHS is the U.S. Public Health Service agency responsible for addressing the oral health needs of more than 1.6 million American Indians and Alaskan Natives. More than 15,000 employees work in more than 230 hospitals and clinics in 35 states. Lozon, who has been with IHS for 23 years, discussed the four-year commitment and opportunities in general dentistry and specialties and benefits that included a signing bonus, tax free housing allowance, 30 days of paid vacation, and more.

The University of Michigan School of Dentistry is one of the nation's leading dental schools engaged in oral health care education, research, patient care, and community service. General dental care clinics and specialty clinics providing advanced treatment enable the School to offer dental services and programs to patients throughout Michigan. Classroom and clinic instruction prepare future dentists, dental specialists, and dental hygienists for practice in private offices, hospitals, academia, and public agencies. Research seeks to discover and apply new knowledge that can help patients worldwide. For more information about the School of Dentistry, visit us on the Web at: www.dent.umich.edu.

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