UCLA dental clinic shines as beacon of health and dignity

Though we now think of Venice as a gentrifying playground for tourists and tech workers, in the 50s and 60s it was so infested with poverty, it was known as the “Slum by the Sea.”With an overwhelming majority of the population just trying to pay for the bare necessities, Venice residents and the surrounding community were matching victims of neglect. By 1967, a group of young community organizers — called the Venice Health Council — mobilized in response. The council hoped to capitalize on government funding and the opening of a community clinic in Watts (which during the riots two years before had seen six days of violence, destruction and 34 deaths) to show a need for similar services in Venice.The council ’s survey showed that people were demanding dental care, specifically extractions, root canals and cleanings. Members of the council soon came to Dr. James Freed in the just 5-year-old UCLA School of Dentistry with a bold ask.Would they be interested in sending dental students out into the community to help?UCLAFrom left: Bill Bloomfield, Peggy Bloomfield, Marion Wilson, Bob Wilson, Liz Jennings and a donor.At first, the idea was met with resistance from some faculty who felt that treating people outside the confines of the dental school — which though only 9 miles away in Westwood was in an area of Los Angeles that was worlds apart from Venice — would create challenges. How would everyone handle scheduling conflicts? Would they be able to provide a high eno...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news