Partnership expands access to paediatric dental care

Dental Tribune International

Fri. 18. September 2026

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TORRINGTON, Conn., US: Now in its third year, a partnership between the University of Connecticut (UConn) School of Dental Medicine in Farmington and Brooker Memorial’s Pediatric Dental Center in Torrington is expanding access to dental care for children in north-western Connecticut. The initiative is also providing paediatric dentistry residents with community-based clinical training. According to Dr Moises Salas, assistant professor of paediatric dentistry, the initiative aims to improve access to dental care and support continuity of care by connecting patients with regular dental care providers.

Brooker Memorial provides dental care to around 4,800 patients annually, including many that are covered by HUSKY Health, Connecticut’s Medicaid programme. In addition to its clinic in Torrington, the non-profit organisation provides preventive dental services and oral health education in local schools, helping address barriers such as transportation and difficulty attending appointments during working hours.

The collaboration forms part of UConn’s clinical training in paediatric dentistry and has increased treatment capacity at Brooker Memorial. According to a UConn press release, its residents treated approximately 318 patients during the first year of the collaboration and 723 during the second. Since the start of the third year on 1 July, they have treated a further 109 patients.

Dr Moses Salas (left) with UConn resident Dr Mariana de la Torre at Brooker Memorial Pediatric Dental Center.

Community-based training supports resident education

UConn’s 24-month residency programme in paediatric dentistry combines academic instruction and hospital-based training with clinical experience in community settings. Brooker Memorial is one of several training sites used by the programme, alongside UConn’s dental care centre, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and UConn John Dempsey Hospital.

Second-year resident Dr Anushka Parakh commented in the press release: “The partnership between Brooker Memorial and UConn provides an invaluable learning experience for paediatric dental residents while meaningfully benefiting patients and the wider community. The programme helps us develop essential skills in patient communication, understand the unique needs of children and their families, and deliver community-driven paediatric oral healthcare.”

UConn said the placement allows residents to strengthen their clinical and communication skills and gain greater insight into the social and practical factors that can limit access to oral healthcare. Dr Bina Katechia, chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, emphasised that training paediatric dentists to understand the communities they serve is an important part of the department’s educational role. Dr Salas added that the partnership also provides the university with the opportunity to assess community-based models of dental care and to explore possibilities for expanding this approach in the future.

Topics:

Pediatric Dentistry

Tags:

Access to care Community dentists Dental education Dental schools Paediatric dentistry

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