ST. LOUIS: A.T. Still University-Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH), which partners with Affinia Healthcare to provide services at the St. Louis Dental Center, will be deploying a team to offer dental care to patients at Smiles of Hope at Lighthouse Church in Dexter, Missouri.
WHAT: ATSU-MOSDOH Fall Dexter Mission
Extractions, and pre-prosthetic surgeries
More than 200 patients to be served over five days
WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 29 – Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021
7:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
WHERE: Smiles of Hope at Lighthouse Church
18555 Lighthouse Dr.
Dexter, MO 63841
573-621-2793
“Too many veterans and civilians in Southeast Missouri have absolutely no resources or access to quality care,” said Kevin DeArman, dental minister, administrator, and coordinator of Smiles of Hope, and U.S. Marine Veteran. “We are grateful to be working with ATSU-MOSDOH to address the tremendous need for care, which may continue with follow-up at the St. Louis Dental Center.”
The St. Louis Dental Center team traveling to Dexter comprises:
Thirteen clinical faculty members, including Dwight E. McLeod, DDS, MS, dean and professor of periodontics; Poonam Jain, BDS, MS, MPH, vice dean for clinical affairs and advanced dental education
Thirty-eight ATSU-MOSDOH students and six ATSU-MOSDOH graduates, licensed dentists.
“This is our fifth year of seeing patients in Dexter,” said Herbert Silva, DMD, assistant professor, comprehensive care director, and leader of the Dentures for Veterans Project at the St. Louis Dental Center. “We work closely with Kevin DeArman to identify patient needs and develop the appropriate treatment plans.”
Smiles of Hope
The clinic began in 2010 in a mobile facility, with limited resources, starting with founding dentist William T. Kane, DDS, MBA, PC, who had a vision to help people needing dental care but could not afford the costs. Through services contributed by licensed dentists and assistants, nurses, the hospitality crew, and members of Lighthouse Church, facilities expanded into a dedicated dentistry suite. All donations of equipment, professional services, and finances will help to grow the dental clinic ministry.
St. Louis Dental Center
The St. Louis Dental Center, located at 1500 Park Ave. in the Lafayette Square neighborhood, is a state-of-the-art 79,000-square-foot clinical education facility with 93 dental chairs. Dental care is provided for the St. Louis community by Affinia Healthcare dentists and staff and A.T. Still University-Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health faculty and dental students. To learn more about St. Louis Dental Center services and schedule an appointment, call 314.833.2700. Please visit stldentalcenter.org or Facebook.com/stldental.center.
About the Partnership – In 2015, A.T. Still University’s Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH) and Affinia Healthcare established a unique partnership to address the critical shortage of dentists, and paucity of oral health services for underserved, vulnerable populations in St. Louis, who lack access to high quality oral healthcare. Through this innovative partnership, ATSU-MOSDOH’s third- and fourth-year dental students complete their hands-on clinical education curriculum at the St. Louis Dental Center in a community health center learning environment, providing dental care to Affinia Healthcare’s patients.
Affinia Healthcare’s experienced clinical operations and skilled oral healthcare teams are essential to the partnership because of its comprehensive primary medical, dental, and behavioral health services provided to over 43,000 patients per year, of which 90% have incomes under 100% of the federal poverty line. Collaboratively, ATSU-MOSDOH and Affinia Healthcare help dental students develop a comprehensive understanding of the negative determinants of health on the dental and overall health of patients at the St. Louis Dental Center, while improving access to dental care for otherwise underserved individuals in our community.
ATSU-Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health
Established in 2013, ATSU’s Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH) offers an innovative curriculum with an emphasis on public health, leadership, and practice. ATSU-MOSDOH addresses the oral healthcare disparities in Missouri and across the nation. In addition to the issues of oral health and skills of dentistry, students learn from and are encouraged to become caring, community-minded healthcare providers.
Affinia Healthcare
Established in 1906, Affinia Healthcare is a dynamic and transformative health system, providing affordable primary and preventive healthcare, including medical, dental, and behavioral health services across 12 locations in St. Louis. Affinia Healthcare is a community health center, 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, and is accredited through the Joint Commission and National Committee for Quality Assurance organizations.
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