Clinic with a Heart
The College of Dentistry partners with Clinic with a Heart to serve the uninsured and underinsured in the Lincoln community with hospitality, dignity and grace. At free extraction clinics held on Wednesdays, dental students, overseen by faculty, perform around 12 extractions per event.
The College of Dentistry was presented with Clinic with a Heart's Community Partner Award in 2019.
Community Health Fair Partnerships
The College of Dentistry partners with organizations across Nebraska to educate community members on the importance of good oral health habits and provide no-cost dental screenings, including the following organizations:
- Asian Community and Cultural Center, Lincoln
- Go Red for Women, Gering
- Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln
- Many other Nebraska companies, educational institutions and nonprofits
World Oral Health Day
Held each March at the College of Dentistry, World Oral Health Day is an event open to the public. Attendees receive free oral health screenings and education. Many organizations partner with the College of Dentistry to make this event possible.
Nebraska Mission of Mercy
The Nebraska Mission of Mercy (MOM) program provides care to the uninsured, the under-insured and anyone who otherwise has difficulty getting to a dentist. Families travel from remote areas of Nebraska and surrounding states to receive dental care. The College of Dentistry is a major contributor to Nebraska MOM events each year.
During each event, more than 60 volunteers from the UNMC College of Dentistry participate, including dental and dental hygiene students, faculty, residents, staff and alumni. Around 1,300 patients are treated and more than $900,000 worth of free dental services are provided.
Public School Partnerships
The College of Dentistry partners with schools across Nebraska to educate students on the importance of good oral health habits and provide no-cost dental screenings.
- Gering: Dental hygiene students provide numerous presentations in elementary schools across western Nebraska on good oral health habits.
- Lincoln: Dental and dental hygiene students provide numerous presentations in Lincoln Public Schools on good oral health habits.
- Omaha: The pediatric dentistry program partners with Omaha Public Schools to teach Omaha Head Start students good oral health habits and what to expect when they visit the dentist. Each year, the program reaches more than 950 preschool children and provides more than 200 dental screenings.
Special Olympics Special Smiles
The College of Dentistry partners with the Special Olympics Special Smiles program to provide free dental screenings to athletes ranging in ages from 10-69 at the Special Olympics Nebraska competition in Lincoln.
Around 75 athletes receive free screenings per event. The interprofessional team of volunteers include College of Dentistry dental and dental hygiene students, dental and dental hygiene faculty, dental assistants and appointment clerks, as well as dentists and other volunteers from the community.