Newark Resident Goes No Farther for Care

A long-time Newark resident, Adilah Quddus, 68, drove past Rutgers School of Dental Medicine countless times. She finally walked in for care in May 2022.

“I was impressed,” said Quddus. “I just appreciate everyone here. ... I had such a good experience.”

Adilah Quddus

Quddus works for a pulmonary doctor part-time. Given her nature, she put patients’ and her family’s well-being above hers for years. “What I've done all my life is look after other folks and put myself on the back burner,” she said. That included her dental care. She occasionally visited her dentist, but when he passed away, she delayed her checkups. She needed extensive care and was referred to RSDM for treatment.

“I want to be comfortable smiling,” she said. “It is a struggle financially, but I know the work must be done. … I’m glad Newark has a dental school at a somewhat affordable rate for people and the community.”

At RSDM, she first had a dental screening for comprehensive treatment. Then she had a root canal treatment with student doctor Andrew Hanna ’23. “I was nervous. … I'm really afraid of dentists,” said Quddus. The two began talking, and Quddus felt relaxed. “He said I dozed off and did a light snore,” she said with a laugh. When she came back for the next treatment, “he still had a pleasant attitude. … I'm glad I got him because he really cares.”

She was equally impressed with her next student doctor, Frederick Darcy of Class of 2024. “I couldn't believe he understood everything. He said, ‘You have a damaged partial denture, and sometimes you can hear it clink,’” she recalled. “That's when I realized, okay, I'm at the right place.”

Being in health care, she understands how difficult it is to deliver care. “I'm so impressed with doctors for the simple reason [that] they’re dealing with people from all walks of life,” she said and added that the same was true for staff. “They know how to diffuse situations here with a smile.”

Her interactions with Hanna and Darcy among others made her realize that RSDM students take their work seriously and do it with passion. “I like the fact that they sit down patiently, talk about exactly what they're going to do, what they should do, and don’t waste my time or money,” she said. She also liked that the students asked a lot of questions to understand her concerns and had faculty members alongside for consultation. “I know it costs a lot of money for these dental students to go to school for a profession that they're passionate about. To love what you do makes a difference. And I can tell they're not in it for the money but … to make a difference in the community."

As a member of the Newark community, who devotes a lot of her time to volunteering, she was very happy to uncover this side of RSDM. “It made me tell other folks about the school,” said Quddus, whose treatment will continue in the postgraduate periodontics clinic.