The tobacco prevention education program provided information about the harmful effects of tobacco products to more than 170,000 middle school and high school students throughout Nevada. More than 78,000 high school students within 16 of the state’s 17 counties also received complimentary oral cancer screenings during the program’s nine-years.

The program offers oral health education, oral hygiene instruction, oral health screenings, dental sealants and fluoride varnish to second- and third-grade students at underprivileged schools. Many of the children seen in this program have never seen a dentist because they lack healthcare insurance coverage, or a means to pay for services elsewhere. Between 2012 and 2019, more than 3,600 students received screenings, oral hygiene instruction, and fluoride varnish.

This outreach aims to reduce the incidence of cavities among children by the time they reach kindergarten through an evidence-based prevention program that includes dental screenings, fluoride varnish, risk assessments, family engagement, and targeted case management. More than 7,000 children enrolled in Early Head Start and Head Start Centers throughout Nevada received screenings between 2017 and 2020.

The school has provided oral health and nutrition presentations to more than 160,000 elementary students within the Clark County School District (CCSD) since 2002. Dental students prepare and lead the presentations, which address proper brushing, flossing, and food choices, as part of a required course taken during their first year. This outreach has visited an average of 42 CCSD schools each year for the past five years.

Student John Ferrin started the clinic in 2007 in memory of his brother, Sgt. Clint Ferrin, to serve the needs of veterans who have zero insurance coverage, and earn less than $25,000 per year. The School of Dental Medicine hosts the Sgt. Clint Ferrin Memorial Clinic eight or nine times each year and provided free treatment to more than 500 veterans.

Some of our frequently asked questions include:

The Women’s Clinic provides free dental care to domestic violence victims within the Las Vegas area. Patients for this clinic are temporary residents at various protective shelters. The American Association of Women Dentists and our faculty volunteer six times a year.

The Smiles Dental Clinic provides dental care to uninsured and at-risk adolescents and homeless adults who are unable to obtain state services. Each year, our faculty and students provide dental treatment to more than 1,000 at-risk youth and 200 homeless adults.