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ADF introduces new student board members on their team
ADF new student board members
For the first time, the Alberta Dental Foundation (ADF) is excited to welcome two dentistry students from the School of Dentistry as student representatives on its board. Simran Sarao (DDS ‘22) and Gregory ZoBell (DDS ‘22) are the foundation’s newest board members.
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Improving access to oral health care has always been at the heart of both students dentistry journey. By volunteering on the board, Sarao and ZoBell are hoping they can help bridge the gap between Albertans in need of dentistry and the organizations designed to serve them even further.
Simran Sarao
“The foundation’s mission to support charities that improve access to dental care is one that resonates with me,” says Sarao, who has volunteered with numerous dental charitable organizations. “It is an honour to be of service on this committee and provide a student’s perspective.”
Sarao worked on the External Committee for the Ninth and Tenth Annual Charity Ball events (hosted by the University of Alberta Dental Students’ Association). As a senior member, her responsibilities included contacting sponsors for donations and ticket sales. She was also the co-chair for the Alberta Chapter of Oral Health Total Health and is the co-chair for the Sharing Smiles Day event where individuals with disabilities interact with dental providers.
Through her work at these organizations, she has developed a passion for increasing access to dental care for the underserved populations in Alberta. Her two years of experience volunteering at SHINE (a student-run, free dental clinic) on Saturdays has provided first-hand experience of resources lacking for those who struggle the most with maintaining oral health.
“This past year has certainly demonstrated the resilience of people in the face of adversity. Although various activities were restricted and opportunities lost due to COVID-19, many have come together in our community to help those most in need,” says Sarao. “2020 has highlighted that if we work together to repurpose resources, we can continue to provide care for those most vulnerable in society. Seeing patients’ smiles is exceptionally rewarding-even if it is through a face shield.”
At the ADF, Sarao is looking forward to collaborating with local dental organizations to improve the oral health of Albertans! Her past experience as a leader on various committees of charities has prepared her well to make a difference through this roll.
Gregory ZoBell
As a member of the Ahtahkakoop Cree First nation near Shell Lake, ZoBell has particular interest in improving the access and availability of oral health care in remote Indigenous and Metis communities in rural Alberta. learn from experienced leaders in our dental community and to contribute to building better access to dental care throughout our province,” he says. “There is great need for improvement of access to dental care in Alberta for minority groups, specifically the Indigenous community. However, this is not just a problem in rural and remote communities, but also in urban centres as well.”
ZoBell is currently participating in research aimed at improving access to oral health care for school-aged children in remote and rural communities. As a part of his research, ZoBell reviewed the dental charts of school-aged children in communities that have access to mobile dental hygiene services. He found children had untreated tooth decay due to the lack of accessible dental providers in these communities.
“In my next phase of research, we will be interviewing parents of the children and their teachers. The interviews are meant to assess the effectiveness and acceptability of the mobile hygiene practice that is available in these schools,” says ZoBell, adding he had the privilege of playing a role in the creation of the Indigenous Medical and Dental Students Association at the University of Alberta.
He has also been involved with the Dental Student’s Association, the FoMD professionalism committee, volunteered for the Shine Dental Clinic and was a part of the Dental Student Association’s Charity Ball.
ADF new student board members
