VCU dental hygiene students team up with VCU Health Hub at 25th to improve dental health
With the goal of bridging gaps in oral health, VCU students participate in a dental outreach program that serves Richmond’s East End.
December 04, 2025
As part of a collaboration with the Mobile Health and Wellness Program, dental hygiene students Kendall Wiles and Ainsley Carpenter educate passersby outside the VCU Health Hub at 25th about dental hygiene and community resources available at the hub. (VCU School of Dentistry)
By Mackenzie Meleski
Every other Wednesday, students training to become dental hygienists set up a shop outside the VCU Health Hub at 25th. While the table and pamphlets may be unassuming, the information they share with residents of Richmond’s East End can be life changing.
“There are people who might not get help because they simply don’t know that there are resources available to them. Tabling at the Health Hub and at other community events gives us an opportunity to reach out and educate people directly,” said Kendall Wiles, a senior at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry.
Wiles and her classmate, Ainsley Carpenter, chatted with passersby, many of whom were visiting the Health Hub, or were simply running errands in the shopping center. The students readily answered questions about oral health and what type of affordable and accessible treatment options might be available at VCU and beyond.
“We meet people where they’re at and address their dental health concerns and needs,” Carpenter said. “For many people, they don’t often have the opportunity to just ask a hygienist a question.”
Community service and engagement are among the core pillars of VCU School of Dentistry. Throughout their education, dental hygiene students travel throughout Virginia to lend their skills to community clinics, giving those in need better access to dental care. Students also take courses in public health and apply their skills to real-life scenarios. This year, the dental hygiene program took another step further by bringing oral health educational resources directly to residents.
“Oral health is such an important part of overall health, but it’s something that often gets overlooked,” said Sarah McCall, the director of the VCU Health Hub at 25th, a place-based initiative created in 2019 by the VCU Division of Community Engagement in partnership with VCU Health. “Having the dental hygiene program [at the Health Hub] helps us bring prevention and education right into the community, in a place where people already feel comfortable. It’s also a great way for students to see how their work connects to the bigger picture of community health.”
Interdisciplinary teamwork to serve Richmond’s East End
Senior dental hygiene students are providing their services at the Health Hub as part of the well-established Mobile Health and Wellness Program (MHWP) from VCU School of Nursing. Founded in 2012, the MHWP has since become an anchor program at the VCU Health Hub since the hub opened. Over the years, MHWP has grown to include nursing, health sciences, physical therapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy and now dental hygiene students at VCU.
Rather than a traditional doctors’ office setting where patients are diagnosed and receive treatment options, the MWHP invites participants to explain their health concerns and asks questions so the team can create a plan of action that addresses many aspects of the person’s health.
According to McCall, the Health Hub seeks to provide educational resources and address wellness needs for underserved populations.
“The Health Hub is all about connection and access,” McCall said. “Our goal is to be a welcoming space where East End residents can learn about health and wellness, find resources that make life a little easier and feel supported in taking care of themselves and their families. Everything we do starts with listening to the community and responding to what matters most to them.”
Working in a space like this helps [students] understand that health isn’t just about treatment — it’s about relationships and access.
Sarah McCall, director of the VCU Health Hub at 25th
Faculty nurse practitioners and VCU health science students participate in MHWP rotations at the Health Hub site. They serve as both educators for the students and provide resources for residents in need. It’s an opportunity for dental hygiene students to learn new perspectives from different disciplines of health professions.
“Having an interdisciplinary team is so important when we interact with our participants in the community. It is the foundation of the program and having the dental hygiene students here with us has been a wonderful start to creating a longer, more sustainable affiliation with our program,” said Kimberly Battle, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, clinical associate professor at the School of Nursing.
In addition to the anchor partner, MHWP, other primary partners and services provided by the Health Hub include health education workshops, legal aid access, fitness classes, VCU classes, community events, research studies and more.
Building smiles and lasting connections
Marion Manski, MS, RDH, VCU School of Dentistry’s dental hygiene program director, described the students’ involvement at the Health Hub as a way of applying the skills and knowledge from their public health courses to real world scenarios that not only give students’ practice in treatment planning, but also help real people in need.
“There are so many health problems that are an oral-systemic problem, which can interfere with other health problems and which tooth problems can arise,” Manski explained.
For example, if someone is diabetic, they can have resulting periodontal (gum and tissue) problems. And if the periodontal disease is out of control, they cannot control their diabetes.
“Our students are able to contribute their valuable skills as future dental hygienists to help solve larger health issues and learn from other health care professionals. Health and treatment planning is a collaborative effort," Manski said.
Typically, four dental hygiene students attend the Health Hub every other Wednesday. They split duties between educational tabling and consulting with participants with an interdisciplinary team made up of faculty nurse practitioners or pharmacy students. Their goal is to collaborate together to help Health Hub participants identify an action plan for their health and wellness.
VCU dental hygiene students Bryce Watson and Hennd Benabderraza with Marion Manski, MS, RDH, director of the VCU School of Dentistry’s dental hygiene program. (VCU School of Dentistry)
Manski described her hope that the collaboration with the MHWP will continue to grow, and dental hygiene students’ involvement can continue to strengthen.
“Watching the students interact with people in the community, provide them with life-changing resources and make a difference is the most rewarding part,” Manski said.
To McCall, the most rewarding part of her work at the Health Hub is seeing the connections and bridges that are built between people.
“I hope students leave with a real sense of what community engagement looks like in action — it’s about listening, showing up and building trust over time,” McCall said. “I also hope they see how their skills can make a difference outside of a traditional clinical setting. Working in a space like this helps them understand that health isn’t just about treatment — it’s about relationships and access.”
