Dentistry in Service to Community (DISC)
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What is DISC?
The Dentistry in Service to Community (DISC) Program at UNC Adams School of Dentistry empowers dental learners to serve diverse communities through immersive clinical experiences and impactful public health initiatives. In partnership with the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC), DISC fosters meaningful, enduring impact across the state’s diverse communities.
Our Impact
The DISC program currently serves more than half of North Carolina’s 100 counties, placing learners in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), local health departments, free and charitable clinics, prisons, as well as a tribal health center and Veterans Affairs hospital.
In 2022 alone, dental students in the DISC program provided more than $650,000 in in-kind oral health care services to underserved communities across North Carolina.
Our program emphasizes improving oral health care access and quality through community-focused, evidence-based service. Since its inception in the early 1970s, DISC has served as a national model for community-based service learning in oral health care.
Mission and Vision
Our mission is to improve oral health equity and access through student-led community service, fostering a commitment to public health and community engagement.
Our vision is to be a leader in integrating dental education with community service, shaping the future of dental professionals and improving community health outcomes.
Program for Oral Health Policy
Program for Oral Health Policy supports the “Advocate” component of the ACT curriculum. The program helps prepare the next generation of oral health leaders to engage in policy advocacy to advance the profession and transform the oral health care system.
Key features and benefits
Comprehensive Learning
Integrate all components of the “Advocate, Clinician, Thinker” (ACT) curriculum.
Hands-on Clinical Experience
Gain practical skills in various community settings through a 5-week rotation between the third and fourth years of the pre-doctoral curriculum.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Work with other health professionals to provide holistic care.
Mentorship and Guidance
Benefit from the expertise of experienced faculty and community adjunct faculty preceptors.
Personal and Professional Growth
Develop skills and insights that enhance both personal and professional development.
Public Health Initiatives
Engage in projects that address broader public health issues.
More about the DISC program
The DISC Program has significantly improved oral health in underserved communities. Our partnerships with local organizations and health centers ensure that our services are both impactful and sustainable. Students contribute to community health projects, providing essential dental care and education to those in need. For decades, the DISC program has anchored ASOD’s commitment to service, providing millions of dollars in in-kind care to underserved and marginalized communities.
Recently, the DISC program has also integrated opportunities for learners to co-develop interventions with community members, designed to increase access and equity for the populations they serve while on rotation. This work is informed by a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) developed by learners in the DISC preparatory course, “Partnering with Community to Improve Oral Health” (DENT 740), that allows them to explore the specific health challenges facing the communities they will serve during the DISC experience.
DISC rotations are offered in collaboration with a diverse array of North Carolina-based safety-net sites, including:
- Indian Health Service
- Local Health Departments
- State Institutions
- Correctional Facilities
- Long-term Care Facilities
- Hospital-based Programs
- Community Health Centers (e.g., Federally Qualified Health Centers – FQHCs)
- Veterans Administration Facilities
Through DISC, learners are immersed in applied experiences to explore their roles as an oral health community leaders, advocates, and clinicians. Specifically, the program helps learners recognize that the barriers that perpetuate inequities span beyond the clinical domain, encompassing the social and political determinants of health. Additionally, DISC provides opportunities for students to apply perspectives gained during their experience to oral health-related policy advocacy.
Through participation in the DISC experience, learners should be able to:
- Describe patient evaluation needs and clinical decision-making strategies necessary for effective dental care.
- Apply communication strategies that support care for diverse patient populations.
- Summarize dental recommendations and treatment options adapted to practice settings and patient needs.
- Facilitate care of a diverse population including underserved and medically complex patients as part of the dental care team in rural and urban settings.
- Demonstrate leadership on the dental team.
- Identify career pathways in non-traditional clinical settings and their impact as community oral health leaders.
- Explain how advocacy can advance systems-level reforms to increase access and equity in the oral healthcare system.
Students: Explore dental education at UNC Adams School of Dentistry and participate in the DISC Program.
Community Partners: Discover collaboration opportunities to enhance community health.
Supporters: Find out how to support our mission through donations or volunteering.
The most rewarding part of this DISC experience has been connecting with all the staff and attending faculty … . On top of gaining new genuine relationships, I got to further improve upon my confidence and calmness with pediatric dentistry.
christian summers, DDS ’25
Contact
Mailing Address
UNC Adams School of Dentistry
Campus Box #7450
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7450