Dr. Richard Graham

The CDA Foundation’s board of directors plays a vital role in fulfilling its mission. The board guides ongoing efforts to support dental professionals, reduce barriers to care and improve Californians’ oral and overall health. Here’s an opportunity to learn more about Dr. Richard Graham, who serves as the board’s chair.

Graham graduated from University of California, Riverside in 1978. He attended Georgetown University School of Dentistry before returning to California to establish a practice in Sonoma County’s Rohnert Park. A leader in the dental community, he has been a member of the CDA Board of Trustees, the CDA Practice Support Workgroup and the Redwood Empire Dental Society’s Board of Trustees.

From volunteer to Foundation chair

“My involvement with the CDA Foundation began in 2014, when I was asked to volunteer at a CDA Cares event in Vallejo, California,” Graham recalled. “My assignment was to help manage a relatively small group of volunteers who would medically screen potential CDA Cares patients prior to receiving treatment. It was an unforgettable experience — so many patients, so many volunteers and so much activity.”

After that initial volunteer shift at CDA Cares, Graham was hooked. “I attended every large-scale Cares event after that,” he said. “I have so many priceless memories of the joy and gratitude expressed by patients who received treatments during those events.”

The Foundation’s mission resonated with him so much that his involvement shifted over the years from volunteering at events to helping lead the organization. Graham has served in various capacities on the Foundation’s board since 2018.

Leading the Foundation through change

As a serving board member and chair, Graham helped shape the Foundation’s efforts to support dental professionals in meeting the needs of their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While no one was unaffected by the global consequences of the virus, the dental profession was especially effective in its ability and willingness to implement new guidelines to protect our patients, ourselves and the general public,” Graham recollected. “The health care field is undergoing constant evolution, and I am proud of my profession’s ability to also evolve to continue to provide dental care in a safe manner.” Graham and co-authors later discussed dentists’ expanded scope of practice in the article “Pathogens, Testing and Vaccines: California Dentists’ Role in the Public Health Response to COVID-19″ published in the Journal of the California Dental Association.

The large-scale CDA Cares clinics were paused beginning in 2020 due mainly to the pandemic. The Foundation hosted smaller clinics beginning in 2021 but, during that time, Graham and his fellow board members strategized new ways to invest the Foundation’s resources in health equity initiatives. Graham’s oversight was instrumental in developing and piloting a new CDA Cares clinic model.

In 2023, the Foundation announced a partnership with the California Office of Oral Health to administer the Community-Based Clinical Education grant and pilot the clinic model throughout the state.

The new clinic model prioritizes ongoing comprehensive care through the placement of patients in dental homes. The Foundation provides extensive outreach to providers able to take on new Medi-Cal and uninsured patients. In addition, the Foundation works closely with clinic patients to educate them on the importance of regular dental care and how to use Medi-Cal’s free translation and transportation benefits.

Graham explained that the new CDA Cares model reflects an important juncture in the evolution of the Foundation’s clinic work and addresses continuing changes in the care system. “We are showing how that system of care can be expanded and improved while still maintaining a meaningful philanthropic outlet for a profession that is deeply committed to giving back to the community,” he said.

When asked what he would want his peers to know about getting involved with the Foundation’s programs, Graham said, “CDA members and the general public should be aware that underserved communities have a dire need for basic health care, including care for dental disease.” He encourages dentists not just to volunteer, but to use the resources available to them through the Foundation’s Wellness Program so they can continue to serve their communities with compassion and enthusiasm.