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Pacific Dental Services Foundation and HPU Workman School of Dental Medicine Come Together to Serve the Underserved of North Carolina
The Pacific Dental Services® (PDS) Foundation announces the donation of its Mobile Dental Clinic to the High Point University (HPU) Workman School of Dental Medicine. The Mobile Dental Clinic (MDC) will be used by students at the Workman School of Dental Medicine to provide care to underserved populations in North Carolina.
The MDC, a fully equipped RV with two dental chairs, will enable HPU students to apply their classroom learning in real-world settings, delivering quality oral health care to individuals who otherwise struggle to access it. This donation aims to enhance students’ community service activities and hands-on learning opportunities.
From 2013 to 2020, PDS Foundation volunteers used the MDC to provide dental care at no cost to underserved populations all over the country. The clinic traveled to urban and rural communities, reaching people who could not access or afford care. Over the years, the MDC attended more than 155 events and served more than 5,700 patients, providing over $4 million in donated dental treatments.
PDS Foundation Executive Director Michael Le visited HPU to deliver the MDC’s keys to a group of Workman School of Dental Medicine faculty and staff members. Le highlighted the significance of this donation, stating:
“This donation is an extension of our mission at the PDS Foundation – the Mobile Dental Clinic will provide valuable hands-on learning opportunities while expanding access to quality oral health care. High Point University is the ideal partner, emphasizing the connection between oral health and overall health and focusing on community service. We believe the MDC at HPU will serve as a beacon for both future and current servant-hearted leaders dedicated to expanding access to care. We look forward to seeing the achievements of the students and the entire HPU team.”
“This donation is an extension of our mission at the PDS Foundation – the Mobile Dental Clinic will provide valuable hands-on learning opportunities while expanding access to quality oral health care. High Point University is the ideal partner, emphasizing the connection between oral health and overall health and focusing on community service. We believe the MDC at HPU will serve as a beacon for both future and current servant-hearted leaders dedicated to expanding access to care. We look forward to seeing the achievements of the students and the entire HPU team.”North Carolina has a shortage of dentists per capita, especially in rural areas. According to the NC Oral Health Collaborative, North Carolina has one of the nation’s lowest per capita dentist rates. More than half of North Carolina’s counties have fewer than four dentists per 10,000 people. In fact, five Eastern North Carolina counties have no practicing dentists. As the only private dental school in the state, HPU is helping to increase the pipeline of dental professionals and expand access to oral health care to underserved populations. The MDC will give dental students another avenue to gain clinical experience and grow their careers while addressing a critical gap in care.
The PDS Foundation and HPU share a commitment to dental-medical integration and raising awareness about oral health’s connection to overall health. HPU will partner with a medical provider in North Carolina to host community events, offering free dental and medical treatment to vulnerable populations and highlighting the benefit of coordinated care.
HPU received a $32 million gift from the Rick and Angie Workman Foundation to establish the new dental school. Dr. Rick Workman is High Point University’s Dental Innovator in Residence and the founder of Heartland Dental, which supports more than 1,600 offices nationwide. HPU’s Doctor of Dental Medicine degree program will enroll its inaugural class of 60 students in this fall.
“We’re proud to partner with the PDS Foundation to broaden our service to the community and to reach more people,” said Ali Shazib, DMD, Dean and Chief Clinical Officer for the HPU Workman School of Dental Medicine. “The Mobile Dental Clinic is a great opportunity to deliver integrated care to patients with complex needs who often cannot access oral health care. Veterans, the homeless, and other communities need and deserve quality dental care, and this clinic will help fill the gap while providing students with real-world experience to strengthen their careers as oral health providers.”
“We’re proud to partner with the PDS Foundation to broaden our service to the community and to reach more people,” said The Pacific Dental Services® Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to improve overall health through opportunities to serve locally, nationally, and internationally. The PDS Foundation provides tools and resources to help build a lasting and sustainable impact on the communities it serves as well as on the volunteers who freely give their time. The vision of the PDS Foundation is a world where everyone has a heart to serve and a home for oral health. Through its three main programs: special needs dentistry, dental assistant scholarships and international service trips, the PDS Foundation has been able to increase access to oral healthcare for communities across the globe.
