More than 100 older adults received free health screenings, wellness resources and compassionate care during two community health fairs held May 2 by volunteers from the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry and the School of Health Sciences.

The 31st annual Senior Smiles and Wellness Health Fair was held on the San Francisco Campus and featured volunteers from the dentistry, audiology and physical therapy programs. A similar event, held for the first time at the Pacific Health Care Collaborative on Pacific’s Sacramento Campus, included volunteers from the dentistry, nursing, occupational therapy and social work programs.

Open to adults age 55 and older, the events provided valuable preventive health screenings and education designed to support overall wellness and improve access to care. Attendees were offered blood pressure testing; balance, flexibility and core strength assessments; dental health screenings; diabetes screenings; hearing exams; oral cancer and denture screenings; gift bags with health-related items; and information about healthcare resources available in the community.

The events also provided information to attendees on the services available through the dental school’s Main Clinic in San Francisco, the Pacific Hearing and Balance Center in San Francisco and Stockton,  and the Pacific Health Care Collaborative clinic in Sacramento, helping connect many older adults with treatment and long-term support beyond the health fair.

Attendees seemed to appreciate the welcoming atmosphere created by the student, faculty and staff volunteers who took time to answer questions, explain health findings and provide guidance. 

“Since attending last year’s event, I was deeply moved by my conversations with the senior attendees and knew I wanted to become more involved in advocating for this underserved population,” said Makaila Gaff, student co-leader from the DDS Class of 2027. “Leading this year’s event was an immensely rewarding experience, and seeing our students, faculty and staff all come together to bring our months of planning to fruition really displayed the incredible community within our school that I’m so grateful to be part of. This experience also gave me confidence to continue pursuing and organizing community outreach efforts even beyond dental school.”

“Leading Senior Smiles was one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had in dental school because it showed how much impact organized community outreach can have on patients and families,” added student co-leader Darren Nguyen, also of the DDS Class of 2027. “I was proud to see students and faculty come together to support the event and each other. It was rewarding to help create something that reflected the compassion and service-centered values of the Dugoni School.”

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