ZACH TUGGLE/THE LANTERNDan Kelly, a junior dentistry major, examines Esmeralda Rodriguez Lemus on Thursday at Broadleigh Elementary School in Columbus. Rodriguez, who is in kindergarten, was one of several hundred students who received a dental exam courtesy of the OSU dentistry school and the Ohio Association of Dentists.At Broadleigh, children in kindergarten through second grade received a visual screening, oral care products, fluoride varnish and educational materials to promote good oral health.
This is the second year the dental students organized the event separate from the College of Dentistry and Columbus Dental Society, which partner to provide free dental screenings and fluoride varnish to hundreds of Columbus Head Start children.
Head Start is a government program that provides educational assistance to low-income children.
Sunny Pahouja, who was elected outreach officer for the OSU chapter of the American Student Dental Association, said the OSU dental school is the only one in Ohio whose students coordinate their own outreach efforts to help children in need of dental care.
“This event is unique in the sense that it is student driven with the support of faculty and local dentists. We’re providing free toothbrushes and toothpaste to more than 350 kids and about 200 of them will receive fluoride varnish,” Pahouja said.
“This is a record number for ASDA.”
Kathy Woodard, director of public service and the ODA Foundation, said the GKAS program works with schools in underserved areas.
“Many of the children are on the federal school lunch program and parents generally do not have dental insurance or the financial means to afford dental care,” she said.
Broadleigh was selected because more than 80 percent of its students qualified for free or reduced lunches.
Approximately three-fourths of the school participated in “dentist day.”
“This opens the dental students’ eyes to the access of dental care,” Woodard said. “That there are a lot of Ohioans, children especially, that don’t get this.”
Dr. Canise Bean, who assisted the dental students in the planning process, said this experience is something that can’t be taught.
“You can tell them all about the situation these kids are in,” she said, “but for them to see it firsthand and do something about it, it’s just so rewarding.”
For the dental students, GKAS is a chance to help the community.
“It’s a great opportunity to give back,” Pahouja said. “These kids don’t have the chance to receive dental care before it deteriorates because their access is really limited. It makes us feel good because we’re involved and can show what we have learned.”
Each child at Broadleigh was given a “grade” reflecting the degree of his or her dental need. Pahouja said the OSU College of Dentistry will try to arrange services at a later date to provide restorative care to those children who received a low grade.
The free fluoride varnish is particularly important for the 200 children who received it.
“Fluoride varnish quickly adheres to teeth and over time is slowly released to the tooth surface, promoting tooth remineralization,” Pahouja said.
The prevention of caries, or tooth decay, in children is at the forefront of public health strategies, and fluoride is a major player in the slowing, arrest and even reversal of dental caries progression.
“Ideally the most effective application method provides prolonged exposure of the tooth surface to fluoride,” Pahouja said. “Varnishes delivering concentrated amounts of fluoride to a defined area satisfies this important criteria.”
The educational materials given out are just as important as the screenings.
According to a 2003 report by the U.S. Surgeon General, dental disease can threaten a child’s health, well-being and ability to achieve, and children with oral health problems can have difficulty eating, sleeping and paying attention in school.
Tina Crist, nurse at Broadleigh, said this program will go a long way in exciting the children about proper dental care.
“These are great ages for teaching,” she said. “Those are kids losing their baby teeth and growing back teeth that are there for the rest of their life. It’s so important to get that teaching when they come in so they can take care of the new teeth.”
Crist noticed the dental students were taking time after each screening to show the children how to use the products correctly.
“That was really special because it is important to get them interested,” she said.
The dental students definitely gave the children an exciting day.
To demonstrate the proper way to floss, the children were lined up shoulder-to-shoulder, acting as teeth, and a rope was weaved between them.
Some classrooms even got a visit from Brutus, who let Mrs. Conway’s kindergarten class show him how to correctly brush his teeth.
Woodard said the goal of the GKAS program is to continue to grow and reach out to more children.
“I am impressed by the level of commitment that the OSU dental students have to this program and especially to reaching out to children who are less fortunate,” she said.
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month and Give Kids A Smile is its centerpiece – more than 100 will take place statewide by the end of June.
Woodard said almost $1.2 million worth of free services have been offered in Ohio for 2009 alone and an estimated 20,000 children will receive care.
“This year, Colgate donated 14,000 toothbrushes and toothpaste [tubes] to events in Ohio and Henry Schein Dental gave screening materials to treat over 8,000 children,” Woodard said.
“Together, these two sponsors donated over $96,000 in free products just in our state.”
Rachel Sova can be reached at [email protected].
