Mark your calendar, and sign up now for the July 8 first-come, first-served clinic

The St. Louis Dental Center will host its Veterans Clinic on July 8 providing comprehensive dental screenings for veterans at no cost thanks to funding made possible by Affinia Healthcare.

Through a unique partnership between A.T. Still University-Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH) and Affinia Healthcare, the St. Louis Dental Center is a federally qualified health center serving underserved and vulnerable populations. Many veterans have no health insurance or access to quality oral healthcare.

“This is our seventh year of welcoming veterans to the St. Louis Dental Center for no cost, affordable care. Our services are important because only 15% of veterans are eligible for dental care through the Veterans Administration,” emphasized Dr. Herbert Silva, ATSU-MOSDOH assistant professor, comprehensive care director, and leader of the Dentures for Veterans Project at the St. Louis Dental Center. “Additionally, when veterans are not in pain and can smile again, they are more likely to engage with work, family, and socialization. These meaningful connections can prevent isolation and desperation.”

By the numbers, to date, more than 1,000 veterans have been screened and treated, and more than 550 veterans have received full and partial dentures.

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ABOUT THE PARTNERS:

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 (ATSU-MOSDOH) 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 Dental & 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 city and county. 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.