The History of CDC at UCSF

In fall of 1993, a group of UCSF dental students collaborated with medical students to start and operate a free dental clinic for uninsured patients in the Bay Area. The idea began when Dr. Linda Kajisa Miyatake, a second-year medical student, who also held a DDS degree from UCSF, proposed to add dental care to the list of services provided by the clinic. The clinic operated out of the Multi-Service Center (MSC) at Fifth and Bryant Street in San Francisco.

Initially, all the equipment necessary for basic dental exams was donated by Dr. Andrew Valenti DDS, an Alumni of the UCSF School of Dentistry. On January 9, 1993, the equipment was transported from Dr. Valenti's office to the MSC, marking the beginning of free dental care in our community clinic. Additional funds were raised to convert one of the shelter's rooms into a dental operatory that met ADA and health regulations. On January 26, 1993, the clinic opened its doors to its first dental screening patients, and continued doing so every other Tuesday in conjunction with the MSC. 

The dire need for a dedicated dental clinic was confirmed when, in just one day, the shelter compiled a two-page list of individuals seeking dental care. Since most clients had no access to dental care, the clinic began to offer oral cancer screenings and oral hygiene instruction in addition to the intraoral and extraoral exams already being performed. Dental students dispensed dental floss, toothpaste, and toothbrushes to patients, and some were even able to receive pain medication and antibiotics for their ailments, but because the clinic was not equipped to handle dental procedures at the time, all dental emergencies were referred out to San Francisco General Hospital and the Berkeley Free Clinic.

Due to increased demand, the clinic upgraded to use the clinics at the UCSF School of Dentistry at 707 Parnassus Ave. Since then, volunteer student providers and dedicated School of Dentistry Faculty donate their time every Wednesday night of each academic quarter to perform the procedures that were not feasible before. The clinic has grown in size to accommodate approximately twenty patients a night and provides restorative, endodontics, fixed and removable prosthodontics, and periodontics services, while strictly adhering to the “minimally invasive” philosophy taught at the UCSF School of Dentistry.

This clinic has proved to fill a much-needed gap for the uninsured dental population in San Francisco, while also giving UCSF students a rich opportunity to provide for the community and gain valuable clinical experience while doing so. We are always ready to help and look forward to growing alongside the needs of our community.