Collaborating to expand patient access to dental care in Alabama
The obstacles. Alabama is one of only a few states that lack dental coverage, including emergency care, for adults under Medicaid. This greatly impacts low-income adults, many of whom reside in inner-city areas and rural communities. Additionally, one of the greatest barriers to dental care access is the scarcity of preventive dental care programs and the limited number of dentists available in pockets around the state, particularly in rural areas.
Alabama dental care resources and accessibility interactive map
Ours is a holistic approach. By collaborating with public and private entities in the Greater Birmingham area and across the state, we can greatly improve the overall oral health outcomes for Alabama's most vulnerable. Through partnerships and initiatives such as those featured below, we provide oral health education and screenings and primary, secondary, and tertiary care to underserved populations. Combining education and outreach, we aim to not only produce skilled oral health professionals but also to create healthier, more resilient communities that understand and value the importance of good oral health.
Initiatives
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UAB Dentistry / Fair Haven Partnership Dental Clinic
UAB Dentistry and Fair Haven partnership dental clinic provides oral health care at the Fair Haven Retirement Community in Birmingham. It is the only full-service dental clinic inside a retirement community in Alabama. UAB School of Dentistry D4 students provide care to the residents as part of their clinical rotations.
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UAB Dentistry - Dothan
Critical to the project is a $3.4 million appropriation from the state of Alabama to develop this first-of-its-kind model. The school is grateful for the support of The University of Alabama System and the help of our state and local leaders and our generous supporters as we work to bring world-class dental care to the Wiregrass region. -
Training Future Dentists to Care for Alabama's Underserved Children
UAB’s Pediatric Dentistry HRSA grant, “Training Future Dentists to Care for Alabama’s Underserved Children from 0-5 Years of Age,” enhances clinical pediatric training for D.M.D students through didactic courses, interprofessional simulation training, and live patient clinical experiences. This is in collaboration with three community-based training sites, including a dental and Women Infant Children (WIC) clinic in a county public health department, a primary care FQHC in rural Alabama, and a center at UAB providing care to children and adults with disabilities. These sites provide undergraduate dental students experience in treating young children from minority, rural and developmentally disabled populations. This targeted training will better prepare students to practice in Alabama, where 41% of the population is rural, 27% of children live below the poverty level and all but two counties in the State are designated a Dental Health Professional Shortage Area (DHPSA).
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Oral Health Training, Screening and Treatment
We have incorporated multi-disciplinary oral health training, screening, and treatment coordination within our prevention activities and have developed an interprofessional training program between the UAB Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Optometry, and Health Professions. This partnership remains strong and the enriching interprofessional activities continue each year.
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Delivering Care in Talladega and Tuscaloosa Counties
We have cooperative agreements with the Alabama Institute for the Deaf & Blind in Talladega, AL and with the Alabama Department of Public Health which supports the provision of services in Tuscaloosa County Health Department’s dental clinic. This provides coverage for an attending dentist and a resident to travel/deliver dental care to patients one day per week at each site.
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Special Needs Patients
The UAB Civitan-Sparks Clinics provide care for individuals with special needs and disabilities which include Autism, CP, Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, intellectual and sensory disabilities and other developmental conditions. We provide dental services to patients with special needs at the Sparks Center Dental Clinicand through the Children's Rehabilitation Services of Alabama. We also serve as a referral source for dental care to children and adults with developmental disabilities from area group homes.
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Medically Compromised Patients
Consultation and dental services for severely medically compromised inpatients at University Hospital are provided through our Hospital Dental Residency Program in the Advanced General Dentistry Clinic. Prosthodontic dental services for those with brain and spinal cord injuries and loss of facial parts due to trauma or cancer are provided through Spain Rehabilitation.
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Student Rotations
Complementing their work in the general dentistry and specialty clinics within the School of Dentistry, our third- and fourth-year dental students have real world opportunities to serve communities across the state, thereby broadening their clinical experiences, through shifts at appropriate healthcare sites. Learn about our growing list of external and voluntary SEARCH rotations.
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Community Outreach Events
Throughout the year, third- and fourth-year dental students have the opportunity to participate in school led community outreach events. These include Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS), Geriatric Events (D3 and D4 students), Sight Savers Events (D3 and D4 students) held in various schools and YWCA facilities, and SOD Cares activities (D4 students) through the Limited Care Clinic.
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Volunteer Outreach
Our faculty, staff, residents, and students spend hundreds of hours each year serving the communities surrounding Birmingham, as well as neighboring counties and the State of Alabama. They support UAB Benevolent Fund activities and partner with community organizations to perform oral health screenings, health services delivery, and oral health education. These include Cahaba Valley Healthcare, a non-profit organization that targets the healthcare needs of Central Alabama’s Hispanic and low-income communities, and First Light Shelter, a non-profit that provides a safe place for homeless women and children in the Birmingham area. We also work in partnership with Alabama Department of Senior Services, and Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, United Way of West Alabama (Success by 6 program), Alabama’s Kid Check and Sight Savers of America, Equal Access Birmingham, and Special Olympics, to name a few. Our student organizations lead many outreach activities. For instance, UAB's American Student Dental Association (ASDA) chapter sponsors programs like Miles for Smiles, Give Kids a Smile, and screenings for those experiencing homelessness.