Our Dental Clinic

We’re expanding our dental clinic to offer no-cost dental services to refugees.

Many refugees suffer from poor dental health, often due to limited diet, access to dental care, and in some cases, torture. In the United States, it’s nearly impossible for refugees to secure affordable dental care from healthcare experts who speak their language and address their cultural concerns. 

Since we first piloted the clinic in 2021, RefugeeOne’s Dental Clinic has provided refugees with free, onsite dental care that contributes to their sense of wholeness and overall wellbeing. 
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Partners and Services

We partner with University of Illinois College of Dentistry, volunteer dental professionals and RefugeeOne staff who speak 30 languages to provide essential care for all ages, including:

• Preventative and restorative care
• Extractions
• Dentures
• Partials
• Deep cleaning 
• Limited endodontics (root canals) ​

Volunteers Needed

Are you a dentist or dental professional interested in volunteering at our pro-bono dental clinic?
We’d love to hear from you! Email Justin at volunteer@refugeeone.org with the tag line: Dental Volunteer

We seek dental professionals who:

• Can commit to volunteering at least once a month for two hours
• Maintain active licensure with the state of Illinois 

Are you a RefugeeOne client in need of dental care?
​Talk to your case manager about dental care and have them refer you. Someone will reach out with preliminary paperwork.

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FUNDERS AND VOLUNTEERS

​Thanks to our Dental Clinic funders:

• Chicago Dental Society Foundation
• Foundation for Health Enhancement
• Illinois State Dental Society Foundation
• The John & Kathleen Schreiber Foundation
• Michael Reese Health Trust 
• The Polk Bros. Foundation
• VNA Foundation

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We are grateful to the members of our Dental Advisory Committee:

• Brian Homann, DDS (co-chair)- Dr. Homann serves as co-chair of the DAC, supporting the strategic planning, operations, and ongoing protocol development governing the RefugeeOne Dental Clinic. He is a general dentist located in Elk Grove Village and an adjunct clinical assistant professor at the UIC College of Dentistry where he oversees students providing free dental care to underserved populations. Dr. Homann is also an alumni of the UIC College of Dentistry where he received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree.
• Esther Lopez, DDS, MPH (co-chair)- Dr. Lopez also serves as co-chair of the DAC, supporting the strategic planning, operations, and ongoing protocol development governing the RefugeeOne Dental Clinic. Dr. Lopez is the owner of Healthy Tooth Dental in Oak Park, IL and serves on the American Dental Association Health Advisory Committee. She is an adjunct professor at the UIC College of Dentistry where she received her Doctor of Dental Surgery and has also completed her master’s degree in Public Health.

 
Dental Advisory Committee

• Scott Bicknell, DDS, General Dentistry
• Elizabeth Hutchison, Dental Hygienist
• Ben Jafarnia, DDS, Endodontist
• James Kaszuba, DDS, General & Cosmetic Dentistry
• Jongbin “JB” Lee, DMD, General Dentistry
• Sam Park, DDS, Pediatric Dentistry​
• Neil P. Parikh, DDS, General Dentistry
• Jennifer Silc, DDS, Periodontist
• Mark Spinazze, DDS, Oral Surgeon
• Daisy Varughese, DDS, General Dentistry​
• Alec Zurek, DDS, Prosthodontist

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