UB's School of Dental Medicine (SDM) hosted the national Give Kids a Smile Day event in Squire Hall this past Friday in conjunction with the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo. The clinic provided free dental services to local children in need.
UB has participated in the program for the past seven years. This year's theme was, "On the way to a healthy smile."
The event is part of the National Children's Dental Health Month and is sponsored by the American Dental Association. According to the ADA Web site, 458,897 children have participated in the event as of Feb. 3.
One in four children in the US have cavities by the time they are four years old, according to the Colgate Web site. Therefore, the primary focus of the month-long awareness campaign is to provide dental health information to children that may not receive it otherwise due to their economic status.
"We give access to care, to those who need it most, but can't get it," said M. Dian Chin-Kit Wells, D.D.S., clinical assistant professor of pediatric and community dentistry. "Children from local Head Start centers and public schools will be at the event. We had 400 appointments scheduled for the day."
According to David Majeroni, a senior student in UB's SDM who participated in the clinic, a main concern for the dentists, students and other volunteers is to make the children's experience a positive one.
"For some of these kids, this is their first time being exposed to dentistry. That being said, it is important that this whole event is focused on positive experiences, with smiles, laughter, stickers, and balloons," Majeroni said.
Wells explained that the children that participated in UB's Give Kids a Smile event received a dental exam, X-rays, and sealants, as well as referrals to oral surgeons and orthodontists if such treatment was necessary. Each child received a toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, and informational pamphlets on how to continue practicing good oral hygiene at home.
"It is important to see a dentist every six months in order to maintain good oral hygiene," Wells said.
She added that it is important to raise awareness and overcome the "barriers of access" in order to promote proper oral hygiene. The ADA recommends that children see a dentist no later than their first birthday.
According to the Colgate Web site, parents need to find out their child's risk of developing cavities and learn how to prevent problems in order to ward off childhood cavities.
Each patient and their parents also had the opportunity to meet with a member from the Counseling, Advocacy, Referral, Education and Service (CARES) Program. Social workers involved in this organization helped the parents find a permanent dental provider for their child during the event.
Locally, over 250 volunteers have worked as a part of the national campaign, including UB SDM students, faculty and staff, along with several dentists and staff from the Pediatric Dental Clinic at the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo and private dentists from the community.
Students from the Dental Assistant Program at UB's Educational Opportunity Center and Erie Community College's Dental Hygiene Program also lent a helping hand. Community members volunteered as well.
Collin and Mitchell Fest, ages 8 and 6 respectively, were among some of the youngest volunteers. They helped sign patients in and gave out goodie bags when the patients were done seeing the dentist.
Sponsors included Sullivan & Schein, Patterson Dental, Crest, Butler Dental, Proctor & Gamble, Ivoclar-Vivadent and the Eighth District Dental Society.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
