As the University of Louisville continues reaching beyond its campuses to address the health care needs of the community, the university is celebrating the newly opened UofL School of Dentistry practice at the Goodwill Opportunity Center at 28th and Broadway.

The UofL dental practice is part of Goodwill Industries of Kentucky’s newly built, 120,000 square-foot West Louisville Opportunity Center.

The center, which is designed to be a “one-stop shop” for life-changing resources including dental and medical care, workforce training, career coaching, youth mentoring, second-chance banking, and restorative justice services, is expected to serve more than 50,000 people each year.

According to a recent study, Kentucky ranks 43rd in the nation in dental care. As with other UofL community dental practices, the west Louisville practice is designed to serve people with unmet dental care needs, including individuals who have Medicaid or no dental insurance. In addition to serving Goodwill’s clients, the dental practice serves the broader community of west Louisville, which is a nine-neighborhood area comprised of mostly African American residents.

Gerry Bradley, executive vice president and university provost at UofL, and former dean of the UofL School of Dentistry, said the new clinic will provide great benefit for the west Louisville community as well as populate a new generation of highly qualified dentists who will work alongside licensed dentists in their clinical rotations. 

“For the School of Dentistry, the definition of student success means entering the workforce as a competent, confident dental professional who practices evidence-based patient care, leads with compassion and has a purpose-driven, service-oriented mindset,” Bradley said.

Margaret Hill, interim dean for the School of Dentistry, said that dental care can be truly transformational for patients who need it.

“People looking to enter the workforce and progress in their careers can be aided by taking care of oral health, which can help restore overall health and build confidence, both of which can be barriers to moving forward.”

View pictures from the ribbon-cutting event on UofL’s Flickr albums.