UB Dental School and Eighth District Dental Society to Assist Allcare Patients

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine and the Eighth District Dental Society are available to refer patients to a dental home. The dental school has set up a call center to assist Western New York dental patients who are without dental care because of the recent closing of Allcare Dental, a national dental chain that had provided care to fixed-income patients. All dental patients, including former patients of the Allcare, can call the dental society for a referral to a dentist in their geographical area and specialty need.

UB dental school clinicians will be available at the call center to refer patients to local dental resources and, when appropriate, to dental care available at UB's dental clinic. The staff of the dental society is available at its headquarters and can be reached by phone 716-995-6300.

Allcare unexpectedly closed its doors in Western New York and other parts of the U.S. last week and stopped providing services because of cash flow problems. The company's abrupt closing leaves many patients without treatment options -- some in the middle of multiple procedures.

"The sudden closing of Allcare dental offices is extremely unfortunate for their patients. The UB School of Dental Medicine wants to help any patient experiencing pain, swelling or oral issues that affect the quality of their lives," said Paul Creighton, DDS, assistant dean for community affairs. "One phone call to our UB Smile Team Call Center and we will help you address any dental emergency."

Eighth District Dental Society President Charles Travagliato, DDS, said, "The Eighth District is the professional membership organization of dentists in the Western New York area, and strives to help all patients find a dental home for any and all oral health-care issues. We are just a phone call away."

UB and the dental society are providing these services to the community independently and are not working with any agency or company -- including Allcare.

To reach the UB call center, call 716-479-9740 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, and to reach the dental society, call 716-995-6300 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

According to Creighton, the ongoing mission of the UB School of Dental Medicine's is to lead innovation in oral health education, research and service to improve quality of life. This effort is aimed at providing much needed information to those patients impacted by Allcare's untimely closing.

The Eighth District Dental Society is organized for the purpose of encouraging improvement of the health of the public, to promote the art and science of dentistry and to represent the interests of the members of the profession and the public, which it serves.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.