The University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) is dedicated to improving access to oral health care and addressing health disparities in Maryland. On April 5th, students, faculty, and staff came together at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) in Montgomery County to bridge this gap by providing dental care to nearly 70 underserved residents.

UMSOD’s Ramsay Koury, who oversaw the Mission of Mercy event, discusses patient care with fourth-year dental student Shravan Thiagarajan.

Called Mission of Mercy, the event represents a partnership between UMSOD, USG, Catholic Charities of Washington, DC., and the Maryland Student Dental Association (MSDA). At a previous Mission of Mercy held last October at USG, 59 patients were provided oral health treatments. 

“Events like these are made possible by dozens of volunteers,” said Ramsay Koury, DMD, clinical assistant professor in UMSOD’s Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, who oversaw the effort. “It really depends upon the hard work and generosity of many who are working together. When everything comes together, it is great to see.”

The April event was staffed by volunteers including 31 dental students, six dental hygiene students, 16 faculty members, and a dozen UMSOD and USG staff members, Koury said. Crucial support and organization was provided by Nisha Ganesh, DDS, MEd, clinical associate professor, director of Predoctoral Education in General Dentistry, and vice chair, Department of Comprehensive Dentistry.

Additionally, financial support was provided by MSDA, and Catholic Charities of Washington, DC, “which recruited the patients, was an integral part of this effort,” Koury said.

In reflecting on the MOM event, Ganesh noted that “we tend to focus on the dental providers – students and the attending faculty — as the stars of this event. But the MOM truly exemplifies the saying ‘it takes a village.’ Patient care success directly correlates with the staff from USG and Baltimore and Catholic Charities volunteers, who construct the framework in which we treat patients.”

Overall, “we were able to deliver much-needed relief to those who in need of care and a powerful experience for those who provided the care,” Koury said. “At our last Mission of Mercy, held in October, we recruited a cohort of students who volunteered to participate in the event and who were moved by it. Our goal is to build an army of student volunteers who are ready to pitch in to help others in future years.”