SCOHAN Smile Forward is the University of South Carolina’s first public health-oriented pre-dental club. Founded in partnership with the South Carolina Oral Health Action Network (SCOHAN), the South Carolina Department of Public Health Section of Oral Health (SC DPH SOH), and fellow pre-dental students, the organization is designed to go beyond the DAT and dental school application process.

Mission Statement:

The mission of SCOHAN Smile Forward is to educate, engage, and inspire future dental providers to understand the importance of oral health to overall health and well-being. The club aims to help students recognize the strong connection between dentistry, oral health, and public health while promoting prevention, health equity, community engagement, and access to care.

Unlike many traditional pre-dental organizations, Smile Forward is about more than just how to study for the DAT, how to apply to dental school, or having dentists come to speak about private dentistry. Instead, the club gives students a look at dentistry and oral health outside of the clinical setting while helping them understand the real issues impacting patients and communities.

The organization will follow and support many of the initiatives of SCOHAN and the SC DPH Section of Oral Health, including SCOHAN’s four action hubs: Connecting Smiles, Medical Dental Integration, Innovation & Transformation, and Data, Policy, & Advocacy

Members will have opportunities to learn about topics such as community water fluoridation, diabetes and oral health, HIV/AIDS and oral health, medical-dental integration, preventive dental care, oral health equity, and the importance of oral health to overall health and well-being.

Smile Forward will provide members with opportunities for volunteering, networking, professional development, and real-world exposure to public health dentistry. Students will have opportunities to volunteer at oral health-related events, attend meetings and conferences, participate in advocacy efforts, and work alongside the SC DPH Section of Oral Health and SCOHAN on initiatives across South Carolina.

Members will also hear directly from public health professionals, dental providers, and leaders from SCOHAN and the SC DPH Section of Oral Health through guest speakers, educational sessions, and panel discussions.

By combining dentistry, service, leadership, and public health, SCOHAN Smile Forward aims to prepare future dental professionals to become more informed, engaged, and community-oriented providers while creating meaningful change in oral health across South Carolina.

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