Dental Students in the Community

Over the past several months, students in the School of Dental Medicine were active in the community—providing screenings and volunteering at events across the state.

“Engaging in the community with various events and in a variety of settings imparts to the dental students that oral health is not just a clinical skill, but a social responsibility—one that grows empathy, cultural understanding, and a lifelong commitment to serving others,” said Dr. Sarita Arteaga, associate dean for student affairs.

two students blood drive

ASDA Blood Drive

dental students with preschooler

Headstart in Meriden

students volunteering

Head and neck cancer screenings in Norwich

students volunteering

Special olympics Holiday Classic

two dentists seeing patient

Family Wellness Center in Hartford

Large group of dentists

RAMS

Remote Area Medical clinic in Pennsylvania

Highlights included free screenings and resources for all ages at the Family Wellness Center in Hartford, an initiative that was started by Dr. Nina Penabad, a current pediatric dentistry resident, during her fourth year at the School of Dental Medicine.

“Volunteering in Hartford over the past few years has profoundly opened my eyes to the urgent need for health screening programs in our community,” said Penabad. “Witnessing the widespread dental decay affecting both children and adults through the programs I’ve been involved in has been eye-opening. So, when the chance to establish a satellite dental screening program arose, I leapt at the opportunity. From securing grant funding for materials to navigating the legal hurdles, the journey to bring this program to life took nearly two years. I hope that we can not only connect people with essential dental care resources but also inspire a positive perception of dentistry within our local community.”

Students active in the UConn chapter of the Student National Dental Association/Hispanic Student Dental Association honored Hispanic Heritage Month this fall through several service activities, including visiting preschool students at Head Start in Meriden to provide basic oral hygiene education and provide fluoride varnish, and performing head and neck cancer screenings at the Healthy Living Festival in Norwich. Students also packed the month with several cultural activities, including a Salsa dancing night, and a workshop making colorful Mexican folk art sculptures called Alebrijes. They also teamed up with the Latino Medial Student Association to host a medical Spanish workshop to help students practice useful phrases for medical and dental students.

In November, students in the Special Care Dentistry Interest Group (SCDIG) participated in the 2025  Special Olympics Connecticut Holiday Classic, providing screenings to Special Olympics athletes in New Haven. In addition to the intraoral and extraoral dental exams, the students provided personal oral hygiene instructions, sport mouth guards, preventative fluoride varnish treatments, and dental care referral services. Students with SCDIG at UConn have a long history of involvement with  Special Olympics Connecticut.

Also in November, students in the UConn Chapter of the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) teamed up with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive at UConn Health, an initiative that was started back in 2022. The students exceeded their goal of 26 units of blood collected. The students hosted three blood drives in 2025, and will also be hosting another blood drive in January 2026.

“Collaboration with the American Red Cross has always been incredibly well coordinated and it is amazing to see how the UConn community comes together,” said third-year Marissa Airoldi. “We look forward to putting on these events every year to help save lives!”

Volunteer activity also happened outside of Connecticut, as a group of 20 students traveled to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to provide free dental care through the organization, Remote Area Medical (RAM). RAM provides free, quality health care services to underserved and uninsured individuals through pop-up clinics around the country. Over the course of two days, 333 patients were seen, with $211,796 worth of services provided.

“Community events like RAM in Bethlehem provide fantastic learning opportunities for us students and help us connect what we’re learning in school with the problems that people experience in the real world,” said third-year student Dylan Hatajik. “We’re fortunate at UConn SoDM to have a culture where community service plays such a role in our journey as students and fantastic support from faculty who volunteer to oversee our delivery of clinical care to those in need.”