INSPIRED. Dental Volunteers "Give Kids A Smile"
For 50-plus first and second graders from J.R. Ingram Elementary, last Friday was all about dental hygiene.
In conjunction with Central Carolina Community College and local dentists Dr. Ray Tzeng and Dr. Antonio Braithwaite, the students were part of the American Dental Association's annual “Give Kids A Smile” event, which aims to provide basic dental services – cleanings, X-rays, sealants – to children, as well as to educate them about dental hygiene, physical activity and healthy eating habits.
“There's a great need in Lee County for dental care, especially for children,” said Danielle Bruner, a dental hygiene instructor at CCCC.
The dental services – which can cost as much as $500 in some cases – were provided by CCCC's dental hygiene students (as well as some alumni) and overseen by Tzeng and Braithwaite. Bruner said that in addition to teaching children good dental habits, the program is designed to make kids less likely to fear a visit to the dentist.
“Fear from having negative experiences is definitely an issue,” Bruner explained. “So a lot of this is about allaying any fears they might have and making it fun for them.”
To allay those fears, the dentists absolutely went out of their way to make the visit a fun time, particularly Braithwaite – who wore a dental smock adorned with Spider-Man, a plush shark hat and two different shoes.
“Atmosphere means a lot,” said Braithwaite, who takes a similar approach when he's treating patients in his office. “So anything we can do to make the patients respond positively, we'll do. It's a fun zone.”
Braithwaite said he participates in the program – in addition to treating the kids on site Friday, he'll work with any of them who need further treatment, sometimes at greatly reduced rates – because he recognizes the need.
“A lot of people don't realize that one of the biggest reasons children between 4 and 10 years old miss school is because of oral and facial pain. So many children have dental issues and don't realize it,” he said. “I want to help young children grow into adults who will respect their oral hygiene. I think if you instill healthy habits early on, they're less likely to grow into an adult who has all kinds of dental problems.”
J.R. Ingram Elementary students make teeth out of play-doh.
Mary Hawley Oates is Lee County Schools' head nurse. She was present Friday as the dental students treated the first and second graders in the 18 cleaning stations at CCCC's new Health Sciences building, and said that each child had his or her own treatment log and would receive a letter of referral to either Braithwaite or Tzeng if they were in need of further services. But she also marveled at the efficiency of the CCCC dental hygiene program and its students.
“You can just stand here and see how organized it is,” she said. “To see 55 kids getting their teeth cleaned at the same time – these people have done such a good job putting this all together.”
She also marveled at how both CCCC and the dental community in Lee County have come together to treat any patient who needs it. CCCC's dental hygiene program is also open for use by the general public.
“There was a time not long ago when there wasn’t a dentist in town who would take Medicaid,” she said. “Now, I know if I’ve got a kid with a problem, I can call someone and they’re going to get care.”
Inspired is a digital digest published each week during the academic year by Lee County Schools to highlight accomplishments of students, faculty and staff.
All Inspired articles are available online at www.lee.k12.nc.us, and if you have any story ideas, please send them to inspired@lee.k12.nc.us.