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Public Service Activities
College of Dentistry Community Outreach Programs
The UIC/ College of Dentistry (COD) Community Outreach Dental Program is administered by Dr. Ricardo Y. Mendoza from the University’s Mile Square Health Center Dental Clinic. As a result of community activists’ efforts and the federal government’s “War on Poverty”, the Mile Square Center was established on Chicago’s Near West Side in 1978. The multi-service facility grew so quickly that by 1985 it was the largest federally funded community health center within the Mid-West area. Since 1991, Dr. Mendoza and the Dental Clinic have initiated programs with community leaders to promote oral health in disadvantaged and under-served people in the surrounding area. Our activities include staffing booths for health fairs, offering dental education and parental guidance workshops, and offering dental screenings in elementary schools, nursing homes, churches, day care centers, hospitals, and outdoor health fairs (parks, community clubs, etc.). In addition, low-cost comprehensive dental care is provided in the Mile Square Dental Facility. These activities serve mainly low- income residents, minority children, health advocates/providers, school-age children, and nursing home residents, in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.
DENTAL NEED FILLED BY THE PROGRAM The City of Chicago Department of Public Health has determined that the communities served by our Outreach Program are dentally under-served due to poverty (65% are below poverty levels). In addition, the persons seen in the clinics are poorly educated, and often are unaware of oral health issues. 45% of the Hispanic population we serve are non-resident aliens, who in addition to being low-income, are ineligible for public aid monies to obtain oral health care. The populations we serve are sharply limited in their ability to obtain dental care, and are equally limited in their understanding of basic preventive dental care. In addition we provide dental care to extended-care facilities in the Chicago metropolitan area.
ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE PROGRAM GOALS Objectives and goals of the program: - To improve the level of oral hygiene knowledge of our clinic patients and in the surrounding community. - To improve the dental health of our clinic patients and in the surrounding community. - To entitle every child to a dental screening regardless of race, ethnic background, financial status, and religion. - To increase the number of community advocates for dental care and dental education. - To increase the rate of retentiveness of dental sealants delivered throughout our Sealant Grant Program. - To train and utilize teachers as dental health educators. - To make the learning/teaching of dental health entertaining for school age children. - To increase the parental awareness in our community of the importance of oral hygiene for infants, toddlers, and children. - To obtain federal funds to develop programs that provide free preventive dentistry for school-age children.
 For Further Information
Ricardo Mendoza Clinical Assistant Professor
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250 DENT m/c 850
801 S. Paulina St.
Chicago, IL
60612
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Notes
Geographic Areas Served: Program Activity Types: Program Duration: Other
Program Frequency: Occasional
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University of Illinois
Chicago Campus - Springfield Campus - Urbana-Champaign Campus
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