The Goldman School of Dental Medicine is a source of high-quality, low-cost dental care for area residents who are unable to obtain services from private dental practices. The care is provided in the Dental Health Centers that are located on each campus or through various community service initiatives. Since 1981, the School has offered free dental screenings on selected open house days. In 1999, more than three hundred Boston residents received initial dental exams, x-rays, and oral health screenings. The School also coordinates screenings and direct patient care for one hundred senior citizens annually, either at the School or affiliated nursing homes and hospitals.

Boston University is a major provider of oral care for patients with Medicaid, which is not accepted by most dentists in Massachusetts. The School of Dental Medicine provides more than $100,000 annually in uncompensated care and has helped a wide variety of area residents, including battered children from the New England Home for Little Wanderers and at-risk women staying at Rosie's Place. With support from the Ryan White Care Act, the School provides considerable treatment to patients with HIV and AIDS in the Boston/Cambridge area. The School also provides complete dental care, at greatly reduced fees, to inner-city Boston and Chelsea children.

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