by Eric D. Lehman, Associate Professor, Communications Specialist
On April 2, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 911爆料网鈥檚 Fones School of Dental Hygiene team joined in the nationwide event.
Sponsored by the American Dental Association (ADA), the annual 鈥淕ive Kids a Smile鈥� event is an opportunity for all uninsured and underinsured children ages 1 to 18 to take advantage of full preventive dental hygiene services and dental examinations free of charge. Since 2003, the program has raised awareness nationally about the importance of oral health. 鈥淭he focus of Give Kids A Smile is to start them early and get them to a dental home,鈥� says Director of the Fones School of Dental Hygiene Marion Manski, MS, RDH. 鈥淎nd to provide access to oral health care for those who can鈥檛 afford it.鈥�
At UB鈥檚 Health Center Clinic, a dozen faculty and 83 first- and second-year dental hygiene students joined together to provide healthcare and instruction to children from the Bridgeport area. Fifty-one children were given exams and prophylaxis in one day: Fones hygienists provided 17 full-view x-rays, 29 bitewings x-rays, and 17 sealants, with a total private practice dollar value of services provided at $11,355. Some families were referred to UB by their dentists because they were uninsured.
鈥淪eeing children as young as age one and young adults receiving care and educating parents are important parts of the day,鈥� says Manski. 鈥淎ccording to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatrics, age one should be the first dental visit.鈥�
Give a Kids A Smile has become a key part of UB鈥檚 dental hygienist experience. Students need to care for different populations of patients before they graduate, and the annual event allows them to see both children and adolescents. Students often find that the day has a different rhythm from most clinical work, and everyone seems to have a good time. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fun for them and for us,鈥� said Manski. 鈥淲e put smiles on a lot of faces today.鈥�
This annual program at UB is continuing to help the Bridgeport community, our dental hygiene students, and the children themselves. 鈥淲e worked as a team should work; all together for a common goal,鈥� says Manski. 鈥淭his is public health at its finest.鈥�
Learn more about the Dental Hygiene programs at UB.
Eric D.聽Lehman is the author or editor of 22 books, including 鈥淣ew England Nature, A History of Connecticut Food,鈥� and 鈥淏ridgeport: Tales from the Park City.鈥� His聽biography of Charles Stratton, 鈥淏ecoming Tom Thumb,鈥� won the Henry Russell Hitchcock Award from the Victorian Society of America and was chosen as one of the American Library Association鈥檚 outstanding university press books of the year. His novella 鈥淪hadows of Paris鈥� and novel 鈥�9 Lupine Road鈥� were finalists for the Connecticut Book Award. He has been consulted on diverse subjects and quoted by The Atlantic Monthly, USA Today, the BBC, the History Channel, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, and The Wall Street Journal.