Giving Back

From cleanings to root canals to extractions in decidedly non-dental office environments, a core part of UCLA dental students’ education includes critical oral health care delivery to people in underserved communities.

Philip Trask has been a butcher’s apprentice, an artilleryman, a telephone lineman and, at one point, a juvenile gang member. But it’s as an instructor and mentor at the UCLA School of Dentistry that the longtime pediatric dentist found a true calling, one that has complemented his years of service to the wider Los Angeles community.

“ANY TIME YOU REAP THE BENEFITS OF SOMETHING THAT HAS AFFORDED you a successful career, it’s your responsibility to ensure those same opportunities are available to others,” said Dr. Naomi Ellison, UCLA DDS Class of 1981. “I always intended to give back to the school and feel fortunate that I am able to in several capacities.”