Case Western School of Dental Medicine holds first Admitting Day
The Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine held its first Admitting Day on March 18.
During Admitting Day, the dental school offered free exams and X-rays to adults who had not previously been patients at the CWRU School of Dental Medicine.
“The whole reason to do this is because it is some type of community outreach and because of our willingness to provide our students with as many patients as possible, and provide them a diverse population of patients,” said Dr. Sorin Teich, associate professor in the Department of Comprehensive Care and associate dean for clinical affairs and the CWRU School of Dental Medicine. “It was a win-win for the patients and students.”
The goal of the program was to see new patients, many of whom had never seen a dentist or who had not seen a dentist in a long time, and enroll them as a patient at CWRU, Teich said.
He said Admitting Day was an opportunity for patients to receive an exam, and also a treatment plan for the future. Patients received exams and X-rays during Admitting Day, and treatment was scheduled for future visits.
“Every single patient got assigned to a student and left with an appointment scheduled. Nobody left without an appointment,” Teich said.
For Admitting Day, third- and fourth-year dental students were paired together to see patients to collect medical histories, take X-rays and provide exams.
CWRU saw close to 150 patients during Admitting Day. Teich said this was also a way to enroll new Medicaid patients at CWRU, which is a goal of the dental school. Because Medicaid patients have dental coverage and it can often be difficult for Medicaid patients to find a dentist, Teich said the school is aiming to increase the number of Medicaid patients it sees. He also said the school is an ideal place for Medicaid patients to receive care because they have easy access to the school via public transportation.
Teich said the event was a success, and was a great opportunity and a good deal for patients who had never seen a dentist or who hadn’t seen a dentist in some time. He said the school is likely to hold additional Admitting Days in the future.
“We have a lot of interest to partner with the community to do more things like that, to engage the community, to bring the dental school to them, and them to the dental school,” Teich said. “The main purpose is providing education, but we need support from community in order to do that. We are also changing the oral health of so many patients here.”
