Rural Dentistry Senior Design Fund

Side View of Chair Design

The Rural Dentistry Senior Design Fund is a non profit fund established to provide funds for travel and shipping of mobile dental equipment designed by biomedical engineering undergraduate students.

The seniors of the UC Davis Biomedical Engineering Capstone Design class are working on designing a cheaper, lighter, and more mobile dental chair for use in rural communities throughout Mexico. They will be working with engineering students, volunteer dentists, and volunteer dental students based at the Tecnologico de Monterrey (ITESM) in Monterrey, Mexico. As a non-profit organization, the volunteers are limited financially. Many of the marketed, high price tools such as portable chairs, battery operated dental headpieces, and vacuum devices are unattainable on their budget.

The students of this project have turned to the Davis community to ask for funding. Currently the university budget is not sufficient for their needs. Their minimal budget only covers the cost of parts and machining of the design. However, the scope of the project requires additional costs of travel and shipment of the parts so they can assemble the chair and personally assist with onsite testing. They plan to travel with the equipment in late April 2010, pending completion of parts. ANY contribution or donation would be greatly appreciated. Everything they raise in excess will be donated to the Rural Dentistry Program of the University of Monterrey. Their account in the UC Davis Biomedical Department is set up as a gift account and all donations are tax deductible as charitable contributions. Please make all checks out to UC regents and write in the memo: "Rural Dentistry Senior Design Fund." Mail donations to: Biomedical Engineering Department, Attn. Christal Wintersmith, University of California, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616 or email [email protected] Download this pdf form for your donations: donate.pdf Rural Dentistry 3D Video of Concept.mpg

2010-03-02 15:11:39   I donated to this fund, looks like a good way to help out undergrads as well as provide tools for traveling dentists in rural areas. You should donate too. —DagonJones