Aug. 24, 2006

Students staff new dental clinic in Martinsville

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By Brooklyn Jones
University News Services

From left: School of Dentistry Dean Ron Hunt and Dr. Mark Crabtree, an alum of the VCU School of Dentistry, speak during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Crabtree spearheaded the Piedmont Virginia Dental Health Foundation's effort to get a dental clinic to serve low-income patients in Martinsville. Photo courtesy of the School of Dentistry
From left: School of Dentistry Dean Ron Hunt and Dr. Mark Crabtree, an alum of the VCU School of Dentistry, speak during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Crabtree spearheaded the Piedmont Virginia Dental Health Foundation's effort to get a dental clinic to serve low-income patients in Martinsville. Photo courtesy of the School of Dentistry

Fourth-year dental students from Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Dentistry will staff a new clinic in Martinsville beginning Sept. 19.

Students will rotate weeks, with four students arriving on Monday nights and seeing patients through Friday. School of Dentistry Dean Ron Hunt said the weekly rotations will give students plenty of exposure to patients.

“These rotations expose students to underserved populations and provide experiences in alternative dental delivery systems while increasing access to dental care for Virginians,” Hunt said. “Students gain real-world experiences not possible in the dental-school setting. They see first hand the opportunity, the quality of life and quality of practice in rural areas, while observing the business side of dental practice.”

The clinic is part of an extended program of preceptorships that the School of Dentistry has been conducting for years. The primary clinic sites have been in Lynchburg, Kilmarnock, Roanoke, Boynton and Norfolk; the Martinsville clinic is the newest location.

Treatment will be on a first-come, first-served basis, and is opportune for those receiving Medicaid or on an otherwise limited income. The Martinsville clinic is not a free clinic, and payments will be required for dental services on a scale based on a person’s ability to pay.

The clinic also will be staffed with one, full-time dental assistant.