Arizona Republic June 7, 2007 Jim Walsh

Dental students, volunteer dentists, the state Health Department and community activists are forming a unique partnership to bring free dental services to the poor in a low-income central Mesa neighborhood.

Pre-dental students from Arizona State University will run the clinic at the Mesa CARE Partnership, using a trailer rented from the Arizona Department of Health Services. Students are painting and equipping the trailer, with an August or September opening planned.

The goal is to get a dental clinic going in anticipation of a permanent one being built, a process that has established at least eight clinics statewide, said Joyce Flieger, office chief for the Office of Oral Health in DHS.

"What I'll take from this is how to change a person's life through dentistry," said Henry Martinez, 24, a recent ASU graduate who will serve as the clinic's director. "It's giving back to the community."

"It gives them an opportunity to rebuild their lives through a smile."

Martinez and his fellow students have lined up five or six dentists to volunteer their time, but say more are needed. They went to the California Dental Association convention and got companies to donate equipment.

Anywhere from 80 to 90 students will run the office, keeping charts, setting up appointments and preparing instruments for the dentists.

"It's everything but the dental work," he said.

In the first year of operation, the program expects to handle 120 to 150 patient visits. Although there may be only 30 patients, they are expected to require four or five visits because of their lack of previous dental care.

Bev Tittle-Baker, the CARE Partnership's executive director and chief executive officer, said her organization would select the patients. As with most CARE Partnership endeavors, there will be no handouts.

"It's people making a contribution to our community" she said of the patients, by either volunteering or helping in some manner. "They will be at the top of our list."

Tittle-Baker said her five-year plan for the CARE Partnership, a wide-ranging social service agency with everything from prenatal care to a Christmas pantry, calls for opening a medical building along Broadway Road and reserving the present facility for children's programs.

She said her board of directors voted to launch a capital campaign to build a medical building, which would include the dental clinic, prenatal care, family planning and other services. The partnership will rent the trailer from the state in the meantime, for a small fee, for five years.

"It becomes a domino effect," Tittle-Baker said. "There's so many needs. If we work together, we can get so much more accomplished than by ourselves."

Flieger said she sees great potential for the CARE Partnership dental clinic.

"It helps teach them (students) how to give back to the community," Flieger said. "It teaches them what their new career is all about."

She said studies have shown there is a disparity between the quality of dental care received by minorities and Anglos, with minorities passing down decay to their children and grandchildren through poor dental habits.

"I think there is a huge potential for role modeling," Flieger said, with people from the community inspired to become dental assistants and dentists.

Anyone interested in volunteering should call Tittle-Baker at (480) 962-5197 .

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