Featured | News | Health Education and Human SciencesFebruary 09, 2022

Dental Hygiene Clinic Offers Free Children's Services

Written By: Rachel Rodemann Putman

The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith will celebrate National Children’s Dental Health Month throughout the month of February with free dental exams and cleanings for children under the age of 18. 

Appointments will be available on Mondays and Wednesdays in morning and afternoon time slots, with scheduling available by calling 788-7270.

Fourteen senior dental hygiene students will be providing more than 100 child dental treatments, including exams, x-rays, oral health education, cleanings, fluoride treatments, and sealants. 

“These students will be able to interact with children and their caretakers in developing good oral hygiene habits, which will help them prepare for the workplace, developing not only their skills in dental hygiene but in providing compassionate care to children and their families as well,” said Dr. Virginia Hardgrave, Associate Professor and Executive Director of Dental Hygiene at UAFS.

“Giving back to our community and treating children for free for the month of February is both honoring and exciting for the UAFS Dental Hygiene students,” said Emily Nguyen, a senior dental hygiene major. “Our goal is to promote good oral health to children in a fun and interactive setting while also educating their caregivers on the importance of developing good oral hygiene habits at an early age. This is a great learning opportunity for us as students as we get the chance to develop our skills with hands-on experience by treating patients of various ages in our clinic.”

“Making sure that children have access to dental care is extremely important,” added Isabel Jamison, a senior dental hygiene major. “Seeing children allows us to interact with various age groups in a clinical setting to get to know their personalities. Some children have a fear of the dental office. Seeing these children not only helps us to know what to expect when treating these patients but allows us to give the children a positive experience that they can relate to the dentist!”

Additionally, 12 junior dental hygiene students are working to prepare gift bags for the young patients containing dental supplies and small gifts. The project’s equipment and supplies are funded in part through a grant from the UAFS College of Health, Education, and Human Sciences dean’s office. 

“I am excited to work with children during our Children’s Dental Health Month,” said Jacob Martin, a junior in the dental hygiene program. “The opportunity to work with children in a clinical setting allows us to understand better how to interact with them as our patients. We need to learn how to work with all ages, and this will allow us to do just that.”

For more information, contact the Dental Hygiene Department at UAFS at 788-7270 

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