with Dr. Daniel Ramirez
Q: What sparked your passion for dental care advocacy?
A: I grew up in an environment with limited resources, so access to care has always been prominent in my childhood and in my immediate family. We have benefited from events like CDA Cares that offered free dental care when we weren’t able to access it. My personal experience with barriers to care helped shape my goal of becoming a dentist. Once I learned the power that a dentist has on a community and on the health of individuals, I learned that our reach is much greater than we perceive. The immediate gratification of helping people, making them well, and building relationships with them is astounding. I realized that furthering this through a collaborative effort is the way I envision family healthcare and how patients are treated.
Q: How have your leadership efforts effected real change?
A: There’s a more holistic view of dental treatment in schools that is pretty exciting. I’m currently working on a teledentistry pilot initiative that focuses on establishing a better dental home for children. It works by collaborating with schools through a hygienist and dental assistant. They collect student information and relay it to a dentist remotely so the dentist can offer more comprehensive treatment rather than just basic preventative education. We’re able not only to provide prevention education, which is integral to reducing barriers in access to care, but also to enable children to establish a dental home and to have someone offer care on a more regular basis—rather than just once a year or less.
Q: Why should more dentists get involved in such initiatives?
A: I do think access to care is possible, but it requires an innovative solution. By cultivating leadership skills, we can optimize resources to develop new strategies that improve the way we manage care and the way we address challenges in our communities. There are great ways clinicians can be involved and advocate for their patients, such as getting involved in their local government and dental societies or exploring the California Dental Association, which allows many people to come together and express their ideas and efforts in a shared mission.
CDA Cares is a great opportunity for dentists to donate just 1 or 2 days of the year, which can make a huge impact on other people’s lives. The ADA’s Give Kids A Smile is another great program that involves prevention education and building awareness about dental issues. The American Dental Political Action Committee has a strong voice because there is power in numbers. Because of my upbringing, I always saw the value of working in the community and how leadership can really shape and direct the way that people are treated.