Delivering Dental Care to Communities Across Western New York
Dental care continues to lie just out of reach for some communities, with roughly 77 million people in the US without dental insurance, including older adults and people with disabilities. Practitioners don't always have to serve all populations, which is why we're boldly training UB students to serve all communities.
See the impact of unequal oral health access, and how the UB community is coming together to make dental care more accessible and compassionate.
Help Provide Access to Dental Care
For more than 20 years, S-Miles To Go has served as the dental care safety net for thousands of people in Western New York who would otherwise go untreated. The program increases access to quality, affordable oral health care where age, race and other disparities exist.
Continued support for all communities requires philanthropic investments. Will you help us make a difference?
Closing the Gap in Dental Health
UB students can care for patients in underserved communities, including those with disabilities, through the School of Dental Medicine’s mobile dental clinic.
We take dental care on the road to create win-win situations for our students and the communities they serve. The S-Miles To Go program helps address the needs of communities impacted by age, race, and socioeconomic disparities, including:
- Develop skills and experience for dental students working with communities that cannot walk into the school for care
- Provide access to oral health care for veterans and underserved children and families, primarily in Chautauqua County
- Meet the oral health care needs of Erie County’s underserved populations, including older adults and people with disabilities
- Inspire students to know their diploma comes with a responsibility to make life better for all, not only those who are able or can afford it.
Local, National, Global Impact
UB students, faculty, staff and alumni are making a difference in Buffalo and around the world.
Education and Training
“To make students more aware of issues facing people with disabilities and to give them more opportunities working with underserved communities is a win-win for the students, the community and UB,” says John Craik, program officer at Mother Cabrini Health Foundation.
Access to Dental Care
Staffed by UB faculty and students, the UB S-Miles to go program has operated in Western New York for 20 years, and has provided over 45,000 visits for the most underserved communities.
Service Leadership
"We really feel very strongly about the program's ability to create change and positively impact the lives of many people in the Buffalo area" says Kenzie Ferguson, Vice President Foundation and Coporate Social Responsibility at Delta Dental Foundation
Invest in the future
Your investment in UB will make a difference for a cause that matters to you: whether you make a gift to the UB Fund, support a scholarship for one UB student, sustain the work of a professor who will inspire thousands, or fund a cancer cure that saves the lives of millions. Every gift counts!
Together We Support Students Now
At UB, we are committed to providing the experiences, places, and opportunities for students to thrive and work towards their dreams. Together, across boundaries, schools, and organizations, we are finding solutions to some of the most pressing issues in society. Explore some of the other ways people have invested in the robust culture at UB that has provided a variety of opportunities for our students.
Leading the Future of Water Sustainability
Clean water is one of our most precious resources, but access is becoming more and more limited. UB’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences researchers are working hard to solve this crisis and create cleaner water for everyone.
Changing the Face of Medicine
Many people of color are at greater risk for poor health outcomes, in part because of the low number of Black, Hispanic and Latino doctors in the United States. UB’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is taking a bold approach to equity in healthcare, including partnering with donors to attract more underrepresented students.
Paving the Way for Passionate Nurses
If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that health care workers are invaluable. And demand for nurses nationally is increasing. Since 2012, nearly 60,000 RNs have retired annually, and by 2030, all baby boomers will be older than 65, compounding the demands place on our health care system.
At UB, we’re preparing health care professionals to go out and serve the world with a renewed focus, and it is paying off. Enrollment in the School of Nursing’s top 10-ranked online nursing bachelor’s program has tripled, enhancing our rapidly growing health care and research centers, and improving not only research that becomes treatment, but also how people receive care.
All That is Not Given is Lost
In order for us to get to the next step—the next version of Western New York—we need to develop our next generation of leaders. That’s why Daniel Alexander, MD ‘99, BA ‘95, and Gail Alexander, BS ‘87, decided to give $1 million to the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical sciences. Now, they’re helping underserved and underprivileged students achieve their educational dreams.