Sometimes you can just tell when physicians really care about their patients. Dr. Abdallah A. S. Al-Oweidi, D.D.S., is one of those physicians. Known as "Dr. A." among his colleagues and patients, Al-Oweidi comes to CMH Family Dental Services from private practice in Richmond.

Meet Dr. A. at our next virtual Community Out-Reach Education program on December 1, 2021, at noon via Zoom. Learn how to avoid gum disease, dentures and root canals. Zoom link: https://vcuhealth.zoom.us/j/92227115870

"I love to help people any way I can," said Dr. A. "People feel more confident when they have a good smile. I want to be involved and have a positive impact on my patients’ overall health — not just their dental concerns."

Dr. A. has several family members who are physicians, so dentistry was a natural career choice for him. He earned his doctor of dental surgery from the University of Jordan in Amman as well as VCU School of Dentistry. He completed an internship at the Ministry of Health in Amman and spent a month at an externship performing simple surgical extractions at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. Dr. A. is an Invisalign-certified provider. He is a member of the American Dental Association, Virginia Dental Association and Richmond Dental Society. He is fluent in English and Arabic.

Dr. A. has an uncle who is an oncologist, and cancer has reared its ugly head in his family, so he took a year to study cancer biology and therapeutics in Boston and conduct stem cell research in Chicago. First-time patients will notice the in-depth health history he takes that covers the whole body, not just dental health.

"My education focused on comprehensive care for patients and took a holistic approach," he explained. "As a dentist, I need to know if my patients have had chemo because other complications can occur."

Dr. A. understands the financial burden patients face in this area. He wants to make sure patients don’t have to choose between medical bills and food. CMH Dental Services accepts Medicaid and families with no ability to pay who have been approved for CMH Financial Assistance. The practice is supported by a grant from the Virginia Health Care Foundation.

"I walk the extra mile to empower my patients to ensure they have the health knowledge, experience and education to live a comfortable life," he said.

When Dr. A. is not working, he enjoys climbing, cycling and Crossfit. He enjoyed volunteering with Rotaract Clubs overseas, which are Rotary-affiliated organizations for students and young adults. There he served elderly and underprivileged communities with financial and food-related support.

Dr. A. is located in the C.A.R.E. Building at 1755 N. Mecklenburg Avenue in South Hill. Make an appointment today by calling (434) 584-5590 or visit VCU-CMH.org for more information.