This article was originally featured in the spring 2024 edition of Dentistry magazine, published by the school’s Communications Department.

Back in 1987, Dr. Barry Griffin (D.D.S. ’84) had just completed his periodontics residency at Temple University and was excited to return to Richmond, where he completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry in 1984. 

At the age of 30, the Petersburg native was the only African American periodontist in the state of Virginia, and he was looking to start his own practice. 

In need of guidance and support, Griffin found himself connected with the Peter B. Ramsey Dental Society (PBR). 

“There was a lot of knowledge in the Peter B. Ramsey Dental Society. We had individuals who had already practiced for 20 years. They had vital experiences that young dental professionals needed to hear,” said Griffin. 

For more than a century, PBR has been supporting and nurturing generations of Black dentists in the Richmond area. The name Peter B. Ramsey is synonymous with excellence in dentistry. Ramsey was born in Petersburg, Virginia. After attending Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry in Nashville, Tennessee, Ramsey returned to Richmond and established a dental practice in 1888, becoming the first Black dentist to practice in the commonwealth.

In 1917, three years after his death, PBR was formed as the Richmond component of the Old Dominion Dental Society (ODDS), which is the state component of the National Dental Association. A group of black dentists formed PBR as a professional organization to share information, network, advance minorities in dentistry and upgrade the profession through continuing education. 

“It was a vehicle to go learn things, to vent frustrations about private practice and to get a sense of support from your colleagues who knew exactly what you’re going through because they’ve been there too,” said Griffin. “There is no way to measure having that type of support system in your corner.”

For Griffin, the connections from PBR helped him secure a loan and open up his private practice on Second and Franklin in 1987.

“When I first attempted to open up my practice I couldn’t get a loan. Trying to go to the bank to start up was unbelievable,” said Griffin. “It wasn’t until fellow PBR member Dr. Charles Johnson (D.D.S. ’76) called the bank and gave his support that I was able to get the loan. That was the type of institution that Peter B. Ramsey is and the kind of respect they had.”

Over the past 36 years, Griffin has been a stalwart member of PBR, a longtime treasurer, and a former president of the ODDS, serving from 1998 through 2000. Over time, PBR has expanded its focus to providing mentorship and resources to dental and pre-dental students.

For Dr. Christina Byerson (D.D.S. ’14), assistant professor in the Department of General Practice at VCU School of Dentistry, her introduction to PBR happened as an undergraduate student during Impressions Day, a program designed to provide mentoring and exposure to underrepresented pre-dental students.

PBR is the parent chapter of VCU’s Student National Dental Association (SNDA) chapter, which hosts Impressions Day. PBR members play an important role in the event by talking to the pre-dental students and volunteering their time to conduct mock interviews to prepare students for dental school admission interviews. 

PBR is an important resource for dental students who are members of SNDA. Not only are the students supported with annual events like Impressions Day and the SNDA Oral Cancer Walk, students are also invited to sit in on monthly meetings where they can meet members and share their experiences. 

“It was a great opportunity to network. We got to cry and laugh about the things that were going on and talk about our day-to-day woes,” said Byerson. 

At the end of the school year, PBR hosts a senior sendoff dinner for the graduating dental and dental hygiene students who are members of SNDA. PBR members celebrate the graduates and their accomplishments and give each student a small gift as they begin their journey as a dental professional.

Today, PBR is the largest component of the ODDS with 39 members. Byerson is the vice president and one of the youngest members of the organization.

“It was important for me to become a part of PBR because it was the staircase that helped me get to where I am,” said Byerson. “Now, I’m in a situation and a place where I can do the same for other students who are interested in dentistry.”

Griffin and Byerson agree that PBR is necessary and needed more than ever. Making up only 3.8% of dentists in the U.S., compared to a 14% national population, Black dentists are severely underrepresented in the profession.

“The potential for success increases tremendously if there’s someone there that can give you moral support and information that can assist you in getting over hurdles. It’s crucial and essential. It’s one of the reasons I’ve been an active member for more than 30 years,” said Griffin.

Now retired from private practice, Griffin continues to teach and mentor the next generation of dentists as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Periodontics at VCU School of Dentistry. 

“Dental school is tough. Trying to get into dental school is tough,” said Byerson. “So it’s nice to be able to see someone who looks like you in the profession you aspire to be, receive that affirmation and support, and It’s also just a reminder that you can do it.”

In another way to grow the profession, PBR offers a mentorship program for pre-dental students. Members of the organization mentor a high school or college student who is interested in dentistry. Over the past 10 years, more than 30 mentees in the program graduated from dental school.

Chyna Wyche, a third-year dental student at VCU School of Dentistry, has been a part of the mentorship program since Impressions Day in 2019, when she connected with Dr. Lori Wilson, former PBR component president. 

“Before connecting with Dr. Wilson, I didn’t really have any guidance to help me get to dental school. So having support to help navigate the process was an amazing feeling,” said Wyche. 

That support includes providing shadowing opportunities, help with the dental school application process, mock interviews and scholarships offered through the ODDS. 

Over the last several years, Wyche has continued to build and strengthen relationships with PBR members like Dr. Tiffany Williams (M.S.D. ’14), director of Advanced Education in Pediatric Dentistry at VCU School of Dentistry, and Dr. Carlos Smith, associate dean of Inclusive Excellence, Ethics, and Community Engagement at VCU School of Dentistry. 

“It all started by meeting Dr. Wilson, and the rest of the organization took me in,” said Wyche. “I don’t know if I would have gotten here without them.”