University at Buffalo

Buffalo Outreach and Community Assistance (BOCA) is an organization dedicated to providing care to underserved areas, created and sustained by students in UB’s School of Dental Medicine. Journeys around the world are organized and planned by dental students under the supervision of dental school faculty, who accompany students on the missions.

“Ninety-nine percent of the people we treat have never had dental care. The one percent who have say we were the ones who treated them in the past.” Jude Fabiano,
Associate dean and BOCA faculty advisor, School of Dental Medicine

Now in its sixth year, BOCA’s outreach has extended to underserved areas from West Africa to Guatemala, Dominican Republic to Appalachia in the U.S. This summer Vietnam will be added to the BOCA itinerary.

Participation to date has involved more than 200 student dentists and dental residents treating more than 8,000 patients—providing nearly 10,000 restorations and extractions and more than $1.6 million in dental services.

BOCA also provides dental treatment for special needs patients and incorporates screening for hypertension, diabetes, and pterygium, an eye disorder common in the Caribbean and Central America.

“The students appreciate being able to reach out and serve others and the people are very appreciative,” says Jude Fabiano, associate dean for clinical affairs, UB School of Dental Medicine, and BOCA faculty advisor.

The care providers gain valuable clinical and cultural experiences. For the grateful patients, the BOCA visits readily prompt an open-wide welcome.

DISCOVER MORE

BOCA program Web site

“Students travel abroad to provide dental care”
Growing interest in the BOCA program.

School of Dental Medicine