Making a Difference Through Dentistry
Apr 11, 2024
Written by Danielle Davis, Office of Advancement
To say Riley Spillar (DDS ’26) has a passion for helping others would be a massive understatement. From her self-directed projects of packaging hygiene bags for the unhoused to her role as the health and wellness associate chair of the campus's chapter of the American Student Dental Association (ASDA), Riley has taken her altruistic roots to a whole other level.
“I want to do my best and push for what I believe in,” Riley said. “I’ve always had a willingness to give back and to do something good for the community because it’s important.”
From an early age, Riley had an affinity for dentistry. After shattering her front teeth in seventh grade and needing multiple root canals, Riley wasn’t one to shy away from the procedure. In fact, after detailing the process in real time with her dentist, he handed her a mirror so she could watch the whole procedure and asked if she had ever considered being a dentist. The idea stuck with her.
Born and raised in Colorado, Riley had her heart set on attending the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine. By the time she went to college, she was shadowing a dentist in Fort Collins, CO, and was well immersed in the morning office huddles. It was then that something amazing happened.
“There was an unhoused man waiting outside who wanted to say something to the staff,” Riley said. “The team had just performed a pro-bono root canal for him a few days prior, and he came in just to thank the staff for treating him like a human. Because of their kindness, he was able to recover from the pain and ultimately get a job.”
Now as a Doctor of Dental Surgery candidate at the CU School of Dental Medicine, Riley sees dentistry as a way for her to bridge her science brain and her heart to do something good. Her goal is to join a private practice someday and collaborate with multiple doctors under one roof.
“Dentistry is much more than root canals and cavity prep,” she said. “There’s a lot of complexity behind the scenes, which was intriguing to me. I want to have that collaboration piece so I can bounce ideas around and work as a team to handle tougher cases together.”
Outside of class, Riley stays busy with a multitude of student organizations and volunteer work. She serves as vice president of the CU Women’s Dental Club, where last year she helped organize a donation drive to a local women’s shelter, and she serves as a D2 co-chair with the Dental Discovery Program. Riley is also very active with the Colorado ASDA, the largest student-run organization in the nation, and helps coordinate the club’s signature 5K event.
Each year, the event raises funds for a specific organization like the Special Olympics, but Riley said the group wanted its 2023 event to be different.
“After talking to our fellow students, we realized that a lot of people want to see where the money goes and make it more person based,” she said. “We weren’t seeing the direct impact of the fundraising and decided to put the funds back in our school.”
After the 5K event, all proceeds were directed to the Generations Clinic fund, which provides support for elderly patients at the CU School of Dental Medicine. In total, the group raised $3,335 in support of the senior care clinic. What’s more, several students were moved to give an additional gift outside of the $25 sign-up fee.
“The money for the sign-up fees went directly to the Generations Clinic fund, but it was amazing to see so many students wanting to extend their donation by giving a little extra,” Riley said. “Every little bit makes all the difference for someone in need.”
For Riley, it seems the sky is the limit for giving back to her community. Looking ahead, she hopes to expand her hygiene bag project by partnering with the Colorado ASDA and the CU School of Dental Medicine to help raise awareness.
“I think getting out of our comfort zones and pushing ourselves to make an impact is really important,” Riley said. “There’s excitement in being the difference for someone.”