UofL School of Dentistry students recently provided nearly 600 free dental screenings for children at Engelhard, Roosevelt Perry, Camp Taylor, Wilkerson, Jeffersontown and Rutherford Elementary schools. The initiative was part of the American Dental Association’s Give Kids a Smile Day, hosted during National Children’s Dental Health month.
Dental students looked for signs of dental decay and cavities, and notified parents or legal guardians about the findings. School of Dentistry staff are following-up with parents of children with urgent needs to schedule treatment appointments.
In addition to the screenings, dental hygiene students visited classrooms at each of the six Jefferson County Public Schools – providing oral health education to about 2,000 children. The dental hygiene students explained how to properly brush and floss, and talked with children about the importance of visiting a dentist and how to make healthy snack and drink choices.
The JCPS Academic Support Services and Family Resource Coordinators and Health Services collaborated with UofL on the effort, along with many community partners including the ADA Foundation, Rob Arnold and Aetna Better Health of Kentucky, Avēsis Incorporated, a Guardian Company, Delta Dental of Kentucky, Louisville Dental Society, Louisville Water Company, Smile Kentucky! and Tyler Village Subway.
