Dental Public Health has always been important to the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry (UKCD) to give back to the underserved communities of Kentucky and provide a learning experience for dental students. 
In the spring of 2022, two UKCD dental students, MarLee Harris and Cynthia Corletto, both UKCD Class of 2025, saw a need within the student body that would allow them to promote dental public health and give back to the community outside of the classroom. This is how the Dental Public Health Club (DPHC) at UKCD was created, where members wanted to provide community service, education, and have fun.  
“For many of us, choosing a career in healthcare, and specifically dentistry, is tied to the ability to change people's day to day life and well-being. Oral health falls so heavily on prevention. Prevention practices can and should be taught on a population level. Widespread population knowledge and health is part of my purpose as an aspiring dentist, and it was important to hit the ground running as I entered into this field as a student to be able to carry the determination into my career,” shared DPHC co-founder, Corletto. Harris, the other co-founder, shared “Dental Public Health Club was started with the mission to connect dentists to their community.”  
Members attend a variety of outreach events set up by the club's leadership, which allows students to bring what they are learning in the classroom to the community. The members have been able to give presentations on oral health and distribute dental supplies at places such as The Ronald McDonald House, FoodChain Lexington, Sisters Road to Freedom, and more, while also doing tasks such as preparing meals and painting houses.  
Through grants, membership fees, and support from UKCD Director of Student Affairs, Bobby Helton, the DPHC provided dental education and supplies to over 500 individuals during the 2022-2023 school year. 
Another way that the club's members have been able to give back is through Mission Health Lexington, a local non-profit that provides a variety of healthcare services to Lexington’s non- and under-insured population. Once a month, the club sends a group of 8-12 students and a faculty advisor to provide dental services such as exams, fillings, extractions, and cleanings at no cost to the patients. 
When asked if DPHC members would like to go into the dental public health field after graduation, Corletto shared, “Many of the members want to serve in the public health field in some capacity. The path after graduation isn’t clear just yet for many of us. Many members are also looking for ways to incorporate serving in public health while working in private practice.” 
The club leadership and members look forward to fostering their current relationships and building new ones in the future, while hoping to be able to extend their outreach to include limited dental care such as screenings or oral cancer biopsies.