On Oct. 21, 2023, the Dental Hygiene Clinic at Hudson Valley Community College welcomed more than 100 visitors who came to take advantage of free dental services. The aim of the day-long clinic, presented by the New York State Dental Association (NYSDA) in partnership with HVCC and Kare, was to fill a growing, nationwide dental care gap. In the Capital Region alone, more than 4,000 people have no “dental home” due to recent dental clinic closures.
Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting students volunteered their time to provide instruction in oral care and to screen patients. Those who needed immediate dental care were referred to Kare, which had two mobile dental vans on site that were staffed with volunteer NYSDA dentists. Patients received care that ranged from x-rays, treatment diagnosis, and pain management guidance, to extractions.
The event was a great success and another step toward the NYSDA’s long-term goal to increase access to dental care, home health utilization and oral health information, while decreasing the use of emergency departments for dental-focused problems.
