Oregon State students provide free dental care to those in need

When people lose their homes and incomes, they frequently lose their teeth. Their teeth begin to rot, and without access to dentists and anesthesia, people often pull the teeth out themselves.

Anika Phuvasate sees such problems firsthand. When she was the president of Oregon State University's Pre-Dental Club in April, she helped coordinate the third-annual Impact Your Health Clinic to provide free dental services to people experiencing poverty.

"A lot of these community members who are coming to our clinic haven't seen a dentist in several years," said Phuvasate, a senior BioHealth major. "They lack the assets, or it could also be due to the stigma that surrounds poor dental health. People are often quick to judge people who have tooth decay and blame it on individual irresponsibility. The reality is there are a lot of social factors that come into play when it comes to someone's oral health."

No one should be ashamed to get dental care, she said.

"It was very rewarding for me to interact with these patients and create a nonjudgmental and compassionate environment for that and perhaps change their typical experience at the dental office," said Phuvasate, who graduated this spring.

The Centers for Disease Control, the nation's leading science-based, data-driven, service organization, reports that gum disease with bone loss is twice as common (at 60%) among adults ages 30 and older with low incomes compared with adults who had higher income (at 30%).

Untreated cavities are about twice as common among working-age adults with no health insurance coverage (43%) compared with those who have private health insurance coverage (18%).

Groundswell, an advocacy organization based in London reports that seven out of 10 people lose teeth after becoming homeless — with 15% of them pulling their own infected and rotting teeth.

Patients receive dental care during the free dental clinic.

OSU students help community members receive free dental care during the third-annual Impact Your Health Clinic.

Clinics draw people from Oregon Coast and beyond

Members of Oregon State's Pre-Dental Club began organizing the annual dental clinic three years ago in partnership with Caring Hands Worldwide, an Oregon-based nonprofit that provides free dental care through similar clinics throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Club members gather dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, translators and other volunteers for the clinic. They perform a variety of tasks such as sterilizing dental instruments and checking in patients. They also raise money for the clinic and spread the word to patients.

A story last spring in the Daily Barometer, Oregon State's student newspaper, went a long way in spreading the word, said club Vice President Yasmeen Koborsi.

"The word really got out on campus, and it was a true community effort," she said. "It was all of these organization leaders on and off campus who came together and wanted to take a moment and help spread the word."

Patients came from Corvallis, Lebanon and Philomath and as far away as the Oregon Coast and The Dalles. "A lot of these people had homes," said Koborsi. "They just didn't have insurance or other means to get dental work done for themselves or their children.”

Two men in dentist gear pose for a picture.

Corvallis dentist Dr. Cam Little poses with another dental provider during the clinic. Little is the advisor of the annual clinic.

Pre-Dental club proves rewarding for students

Phuvasate said the clinic is extremely meaningful to her on a personal level. "Volunteering at it for the past three years has helped me reaffirm my decision to go into dentistry," she said.

The Pre-Dental Club is rewarding in general, said Koborsi. "The club shows students different ways to connect with the community through service projects and how to apply to the dental program," she said. "It hopefully deepens their passion for dentistry for their future careers."

Koborsi also graduated this spring. Like Phuvasate, she will be attending Oregon Health & Science University in the fall to complete her dental education.

"I love that through dentistry you are able to give people hope and let them know you care about them," she said. "You show them that, for about one hour in their day, you have dedicated your time to them to make them feel good at the end of it."

Dr. Cam Little, a dentist practicing in Corvallis since 1996, is the advisor of the annual clinic. He works closely with pre-dental students in general. Students interested in careers in dentistry frequently job shadow him.

"I didn't feel that observation only was enough for the students," Little said. "Sometimes I would let them assist me chairside if possible. I found that this gave them real hands-on experience and a better understanding of what it is like to treat a patient."

Little began working with Caring Hands Worldwide in 2018 in Eugene, even before the Pre-Dental Club began organizing the Corvallis clinics.

Avery Esau, the Pre-Dental Club president in 2021, suggested starting clinics in Corvallis. "She took the information back to a club meeting, and they voted to start doing this as their main yearly philanthropic mission," Little said.

Esau and fellow pre-dentistry student Isabella Sandgren rallied a team and held the first clinic at the First Congregational United Church of Christ.

This year's clinic ran April 13 and 14 at the Benton County Fairgrounds and drew 150 patients.

"This event is a real benefit to the community and to those who cannot afford dentistry and have no access to care," Little said. "It is also of great benefit to the pre-dental students of OSU. They get an opportunity to organize and staff a major philanthropic event.”

"It just deepened my passion each year."

Koborsi said she just hopes they helped people. "We tried to make sure every person who came left with more than what they expected," she said.

She became involved in dentistry through the Undergraduate Research, Scholarship & the Arts program at Oregon State.

"I was in Dr. Philip McFadden's lab in the Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics through URSA during my sophomore year," Koborsi said. "That really opened my eyes to how much I love the science, and specifically the chemistry, behind teeth."

She volunteered at the first Impact Your Health Clinic in 2022. "That was the way that I fell in love with dentistry," she said. "It just deepened my passion each year."

Koborsi said she initially wanted to be a pharmacist. "I really enjoyed being able to have a job where I was able to meet with patients and have a connection with them," she said. "As a dentist, I would be able to even deepen those connections. I just really want to have a career where I can build a community and connect with people and make people feel welcome, included, safe and cared for."

A group photo of people participating in the free dental clinic.

Participants of the third-annual free dental clinic pose for a group picture.

Making it less scary to see a dentist

Phuvasate said she also finds the clinics inspirational. "They made me realize that the reason I want to go into dentistry is to help people overcome their feelings of shame and insecurity when they're in the dental chair," she said.

She chose to go into dentistry at the end of high school. "I wasn't entirely set on it," she said. "I started looking into it because I was interested in human biology. I also knew I wanted a career where I could work with the general public. I wasn't drawn to doing research or lab work behind the scenes. I decided to look into health care."

Although she considered being a physician, said Phuvasate, she heard too many physicians complain about burning out from their frustration with the health-care system. "Every dentist I talked with was extremely happy with their work/life balance and the personal connections they're able to make with patients," she said.

"As a kid, I never had any bad interactions with dentists," she added. "I actually looked forward to seeing my dentist. I didn't realize that many people have a phobia about going to the dentist. That also made me realize how much of an impact those interactions can have."

Phuvasate said she hopes some people are already more comfortable seeing a dentist because of the help she and her fellow Pre-Dental Club members provided at the annual clinics.

"Maybe they avoided the dental office because they're so used to being judged for the state of their teeth," she said. "We hopefully made people comfortable enough to talk about their dental health."