The CDA Foundation’s board of directors plays a vital role in fulfilling our mission. The board’s guidance leads ongoing efforts to support dental professionals, reduce barriers to care and improve Californians’ oral health through volunteerism and funding. Get to know Dr. Elisa Chavez, a member of the board.
Shaping dentistry’s future and advocating for the elderly
For more than 24 years, Dr. Chavez has helped shape new generations of dentists as a professor of diagnostic sciences at University of the Pacific’s Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. She has served as director of the school’s Pacific Center for Equity in Oral Health Care since 2019.
After graduating from the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry, Chavez earned a certificate in geriatric dentistry from The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She has worked in private practice, community health, long-term care and hospital settings. Much of her career has been – and continues to be – dedicated to improving access to care for geriatric patients.
“My work is to educate not only our future oral health care professionals but others within the health professions and policy makers about the value and importance of oral health to general health and well-being,” Chavez explained. “It’s my mission to promote and advance the integration of oral health care into primary care as a critical and integral part of comprehensive health care at all ages.”
As part of fulfilling that mission, Chavez is a Founders Fellow with The Santa Fe Group, where her research focuses on improving the oral health of America’s seniors. And she has authored or co-authored over two dozen articles, abstracts and book chapters in peer-reviewed journals and textbooks, primarily in the areas of education and care for geriatric patients. Chavez has also presented on treatment planning for older adults, aging and oral health, expanding Medicare dental benefits and other topics at national, state and local meetings and symposiums.
Expertise is an asset to the Foundation
Chavez’s expertise in care for geriatric patients is very valuable as the CDA Foundation works to fulfill its own mission of improving the oral health of all Californians. Her involvement with the Foundation began with some gentle prodding from an acquaintance who had volunteered at Foundation events. “They mentioned that I might be interested in the programs that CDAF supports and encouraged me to become more involved,” Chavez recalled.
Once she became involved with the Foundation through volunteer efforts and leadership, Chavez found that she also enjoyed getting to know colleagues from across California. She appreciated the opportunity to learn about their work and ideas to support the dental profession and improve access and quality of care. “The depth and breadth of the programs and the people who support them through the Foundation are really inspiring,” she said.
Learning from colleagues while improving California’s oral health
When asked about memorable Foundation events, Chavez replied, “I don’t know that I can point to a single event. What I can say is that at every meeting or event, I learn so much from my colleagues. There is such diversity of experience, expertise and ideas that I always come away with some new perspective that I would not have had otherwise.”
For her peers who are wondering how to get involved with the Foundation, Chavez acknowledged that with so many people across California who lack or have limited access to oral health care, “it can be difficult to know how to best help or even where to start.” Chavez suggests reaching out to the Foundation to ask questions about its mission and sharing your own ideas. “Starting a conversation about what is important to you is a great way to figure out how to get involved.”