Stories

Narrative Dentistry Database

The NAME Project’s Narrative Dentistry Database includes narrative excerpts from group and individual interviews, as well as poems, books, essays, news articles, and more.

How to search the database:

Enter search terms in the box below OR
Browse entries by clicking on the categories. Select multiple categories to narrow your search.

Ways to use the database:

For Patients or Caregivers

to make decisions around their own oral health care choices
to learn about others’ experiences around oral health care

For Pre-Health Undergraduate Programs/Dental Schools

to incorporate into courses/programs
to help train new oral health care providers

For Clinicians

to reflect on and develop ways to offer equitable care

For Librarians

To find resources for story times, book discussion groups or narrative dentistry activities

Have a story or resource to share? Email us at thenameproject@umd.edu to add it to our database.

Thanks for your interest in our Narrative Dentistry Database. Please help us better measure the impact, usage, and importance of this database by completing this short survey.

These Professionals Could Provide Dental Work, at Lower Cost. So Why Doesn’t Arizona Want Them?

Newspaper article by Ken Alltucker. (January 24, 2017). The Arizona Republic. https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/health/2017/01/23/push-for-dental-therapy-in-arizona-stalls-amid-legislative-resistance/96836364/

Lack of Dental Services a Factor in Grades, Attendance in State Schools

Newspaper article by Jane Meredith Adams. (August 12, 2016). The Mercury News. https://www.mercurynews.com/2013/03/30/lack-of-dental-services-a-factor-in-grades-attendance-in-state-schools/

Can Dental Therapists Ease the Dentist Shortage?

Newspaper article by Cheryl Winokur Munk. (September 21, 2023). The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/dentist-shortage-dental-therapists-97e2c885?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAi29z-YvNuZQ8WnHkq_VkL-GndOD35HfID2j5hhZ2kmbARzxdfxCis4n2687vw%3D&gaa_ts=6854687d&gaa_sig=ICb7JgIuIYs-nktvAUYMDaKxrSRLo8KmzMlT_C1BcJdVzzVg5xdLatRonWt1qp6B-wd7ytsU6nUBTMZYYKxwHg%3D%3D

Lawrence Bell and the Challenges of Urban Dentistry

Newspaper article by Dan Rodricks. (December 1, 2024). The Baltimore Sun. https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/12/01/rodricks-urban-dentistry/

Dental Care Still Out of Reach for Many Americans

Newspaper article by Dan Rodricks. (August 30, 2024). The Baltimore Sun. https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/08/29/rodricks-dental-care/

At 86, Teeth Not a Long-Term Investment

Newspaper article by Ray Hendrickson. (May 13, 2015). Iowa City Press-Citizen. https://www.press-citizen.com/story/opinion/contributors/writers-group/2015/05/13/guest-opinion-teeth/27241305/

Remembering Deamonte Driver: An Oral Health Story

The following is a story that has been amplified by journalists and represents the kinds of resources found in our database.

In February 2007, twelve-year-old Deamonte Driver, a Maryland resident, died after complaining of a toothache. A simple $80 extraction for his tooth abscess was out of reach for his mother, Alyce Driver. Although Ms. Driver had Medicaid, which covered Deamonte, she searched, but was unable to find a provider who would accept her insurance plan. The bacteria in Deamonte’s tooth spread to his brain, and he passed away. According to the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute, in 2020 only 43% of all dentists in the U.S. accepted Medicaid or CHIP (child dental services).

To learn more about Deamonte Driver’s story, check out the book Teeth: The Story of Beauty, Inequality, and the Struggle for Oral Health in America by Mary Otto.