Yvette Oppong

UConn School of Dental Medicine

I was born in Tema, Ghana, and raised in East Hartford, CT. I attended the University of Connecticut, earning a bachelor of arts degree in environmental studies in May 2021 and a graduate certificate in Biomedical Science Research Experience in May 2024.

I joined the UConn Health Leaders program in September 2020, where I advocated for patients by communicating their needs to appropriate healthcare professionals to improve the way healthcare was delivered. In August 2022, I joined Dr. Chandra Jackson’s Environmental & Social Determinants of Health research group at the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences. I assisted on projects relating to sleep apnea and learned about the connection between sleep and health disparities, as well as the importance of sleep as an indicator of health. In November 2024 and June 2025, I volunteered at Connecticut Mission of Mercy, a free clinic offering quality dental care to underserved community members who do not have access to regular dental care. When I volunteered in UConn’s Just Us Moving Project (JUMP) in April 2024, I soon noticed that, while there was an awareness of the importance of physical activity in the Hartford community, there was a lack of oral health awareness. So, I decided to create an initiative centered around spreading oral health awareness to underrepresented and disadvantaged communities.

I am very passionate about addressing racial health disparities and learning about social determinants of health. I believe that the connection between oral health and overall systemic health is underrepresented in the healthcare field, and that this problem must be rectified. The racial disparity within the dentistry field can also reflect the disparity in underrepresented and disadvantaged communities. I strive to expand my knowledge of health disparities and health equity to contribute to expanding representation.

As a future dentist, I hope to create and maintain eagerness and excitement when patients think about seeing their dentists. I hope to provide more community awareness of what dentists do, the tools they use, and why they use them, to enhance understanding and decrease fear associated with seeing a dentist. I hope to provide my future patients with gentle, persistent care, where they feel listened to and heard. I aspire to be a leader and educator within my community, to increase awareness of oral health and of health disparities within oral health. I want to be able to address the needs of my community both in and out of the office. I believe the UST/AS Program will provide me with a strong foundation and the necessary skills to be able to achieve these goals.