MDC’s Medical Center Campus and Peñalver Clinic Join Forces to Provide Dental Care at a Nominal Cost

ew partnership provides dental care for low-income residents and training for students

Miami, May 27, 2011 - Always dedicated to serving the community, Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Medical Center Campushas partnered with thePeñalver Clinicand the Miami-Dade Health Department to provide low-cost dental services for underserved populations.  

There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 1, at the Peñalver Clinic, where guests will be given a tour of the dental facility.

MDC dental hygiene students provide services to more than 2,000 patients each year at the low-cost facility in Miami-Dade County’s Medical District. For a nominal charge, with no eligibility requirements, students provide services that include cleanings, scaling and root planning, radiographs, sealants, nutritional counseling, tobacco cessation, periodontal adjunctive chemotherapies, desensitization and fluoride treatments, localized antibiotic treatments, and self-care instructions so patients can improve and maintain their oral health.   

Founded in 1996, the clinic was a dream of Dr. Rafael A. Peñalver, a Cuban physician who wished to create a facility that would provide high-quality, affordable, preventive medicine, education and personalized treatment for all. The dental hygiene clinic is its new component. Through this partnership, students will continue to provide much-needed services to the community while gaining additional training.

For more information, please contact Eloisa Echazabal at 305-237-4064, eechazab@mdc.edu.