Dr. Scott Miller

Founder, Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center (AHCDC)

Inspiring new dentists to give back to their communities

Location: Virginia
Website: www.appalachianhighlandsdental.com
Donation or Grant amount: $10,000

Dr. Scott Miller founded Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center (AHCDC) in 2020 to address the already alarming lack of access to dental care facing the families of Southwest Virginia. His efforts focus on improving the oral health of underserved populations, including patients enrolled in Medicaid or who are unemployed and uninsured, while also training young dentists and inspiring them to want to practice in this dental desert.

More than five years later, AHCDC has served more than 8,000 patients, provided nearly 85,000 procedures and graduated 29 new dentists, due to Dr. Miller's innovation and leadership. He tripled the number of appointments available by expanding the Center to accommodate 14 dental chairs. He established the first digital dental lab in the region and is clinical director of the Johnston Memorial Hospital Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency program, where more than 25% of graduates choose to practice locally.

Dr. Miller has long been a champion of health equity, volunteering with the Virginia Dental Association Foundation’s Mission of Mercy (MOM) clinics and advocating for continued Medicaid dental benefits by serving on the state’s Medicaid Dental Advisory Committee. He retired from private practice to devote himself to this mission and use his experience to mentor new dentists who are providing comprehensive dental care to patients in severe dental health professional shortage areas who would otherwise have to wait for the next MOM event.

He will donate his $10,000 award to AHCDC as it breaks ground on more space for seven additional chairs and new digital tools.

To me, health access means you have a seat indoors, at a clinic or office, not in a fairground under a tent in the scorching heat of July vying for whatever dentistry you can get. This has been the case for thousands of Southwestern Virginia residents who postpone care until the annual remote clinic days,” Dr. Miller said. “That’s not the model for patients in need. Access means having a provider you can go to five days a week. And if you’re in pain, there is a spot waiting for you. That is what we do here. I am proud to say our compassionate residents and deeply experienced faculty will see you the day you call with a toothache.