Brianna Chavis-Locklear receives scholarship from the Society of American Indian Dentists and Crest/Oral B.

Greenville, NC, July 9, 2018—Brianna Chavis-Locklear, a third-year student at the ECU School of Dental Medicine, has received a scholarship sponsored by Crest/Oral B and distributed by the Society of American Indian Dentists (SAID) for the 2018-2019 school year.

Ms. Chavis-Locklear, who is originally from Prospect, N.C., earned a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a student member of the Society of American Indian Dentists and a member of the Lumbee Tribe. This is the second year in a row that she has received a scholarship from the Society of American Indian Dentists.

Ms. Chavis-Locklear serves as the president of the ECU Student Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. She is also an active member of the Student National Dental Association. As a second year dental student, she played an active role in bringing an oral health and hygiene presentation called Lessons in a Lunch Box to Prospect Elementary School, her former school in the Prospect Community of Robeson County.

Dental students Brianna Chavis-Locklear (at left) and Rudy Oxendine were presented with scholarships at the Society of American Indian Dentists Annual Conference at the University of Washington, June 20-24, 2018. The students are pictured with Winifred J. Booker, DDS, president of the Society of American Indian Dentists.

In the past year, she has participated in oral health outreach projects such as Passport to Oral Health at the Boys and Girls Club in Pitt County, Give Kids a Smile day in Greenville, and Special Olympics Summer Games at NC State University.

“My number one goal is to bring positive change through oral health care to American Indians and other underserved North Carolinians,” said Chavis-Locklear. “I have realized that this change begins with mothers and their children. By teaching young children the advantages of proper oral health care, we can begin to reverse the current poor state of oral health among American Indians.”

She added, “I hope I can also serve as a role model for other American Indians who may be thinking about careers in dentistry so that they can help enhance and advance the dental health of American Indian people and other underserved North Carolinians.”

“Brianna’s dedication to serving the oral health needs of underserved North Carolinians—especially the American Indian population—exemplifies the mission of our dental school. We are very proud of Brianna and of our other students and alumni working to end disparities in oral health,” said Dr. Margaret Wilson, the dental school’s vice dean and associate dean for student affairs.

During her fourth-year of dental school, Chavis-Locklear and her classmates will gain hands-on experience treating patients during rotations at the school’s eight community service learning centers located in rural areas across North Carolina, including a center in Robeson County near Pembroke.