GSDM’s Community-Based Oral Health Programs

Blackstone School 12th Annual Third Grade Field Trip to GSDM: Eighty-four 3rd-grade children from the Blackstone Elementary School made their annual trek to GSDM for a full day of oral health activities, including presentations on oral health and nutrition, a lesson on teeth and gums, and interactive activities in the Simulation Learning Center that taught them about sealants and dental impressions. The field trip ended with a pizza party on the Talbot Green. This annual field trip continues to be one of GSDM’s most successful outreach programs—a lot of fun and learning for the children and an opportunity for Boston University dental students to inspire a young child to pursue a higher education and possibly a career in dentistry.

Boston Medical Center (BMC) Food Pantry Drive: Students from the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) donated over 400 items collected during their annual food drive to the BMC Food Pantry. The Food Pantry distributes items to referred patients from all BMC clinics, feeding approximately 80 families per day and providing three days’ worth of food to patients every two weeks.

Edward W. Brooke Charter School Field Trip to GSDM: Four classes of third-grade students from this Roslindale charter school enjoyed a day of educational and fun activities in both the classroom and the Simulation Learning Center (SLC). The children were very eager to learn about life as a dental student and many came armed with questions to ask the students. They participated in lessons on nutrition and sealants, dressed up as dental students, and made models of their thumbs using an alginate impression and dental stone.

Framingham Community Outreach at Pediatric Medical Sites: Printed oral health booklets, entitled A Healthy Mouth for Your Baby and Seal Out Tooth Decay, were distributed again this year by CHP staff to office managers at four Framingham pediatric medical sites. These free oral health resources were made available for parents to read at the sites while waiting for their children’s appointments and to take with them for further reference.

Healthy Baby/Healthy Child (HB/HC) Oral Health Promotion Program: GSDM has developed an oral health promotion model aimed at preventing early childhood caries targeting high-risk pregnant women and their children. Of particular importance are those women living in communities which are disproportionately impacted by infant mortality and other health disparities. As part of this intervention, GSDM faculty trained public health nurses from the Boston Public Health Commission’s HB/HC home visitation program to carry out basic oral health assessments and provide oral health education to their clients’ children.

Higginson/Lewis K-8 School Oral Health Education: Several members of GSDM’s chapter of the Student National Dental Association (SNDA) presented a lesson on oral health issues of interest to sixth graders at the Higginson School. The students discussed health-related topics such as healthier snack choices, the hazards of oral piercing and tobacco use, and dental career possibilities.

HIV Dental Care/Ryan White: Through support from the Ryan White Care Act, GSDM provides a considerable amount of treatment, which is mostly uncompensated, to patients with HIV and AIDS throughout New England. A network for education referral has been established and includes Cambridge Cares about AIDS, Boston University Medical Center, the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, and others.

IBA Cacique Youth Program: Inquilinos Boricuas En Acion (IBA) is an organization established to support the development and empowerment of the Villa Victoria community; Cacique is a youth program that offers both an afterschool program and a summer program. CHP provided four lessons on oral health topics, including the importance of teeth, healthy eating, tooth protectors, and dental careers.

Intergenerational Literacy Project (ILP) Dental Education & Screenings: During this event CHP delivered dental health education, answered pre-prepared questions from participants, and performed dental screenings for children of the ILP students. The dental services provided at the Chelsea School Dental Center were reviewed and each participant was given a toothbrush and educational handouts.

MGH/Chelsea Adult Refugee Dental Screenings: Each year new populations of refugees move into Chelsea and receive health care through the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Chelsea Health Center. Although the children receive dental care through the BU/Chelsea partnership school-based programs, the adults do not have any such program to rely upon. For the second year in a row, therefore, the refugee health group at MGH asked CHP faculty to provide dental screenings for adults and to assist staff in finding appropriate referral sites. Twenty-five adults were screened this year with most in need of dental treatment.

Notre Dame Educational Center (NDEC) Oral Health Outreach: The NDEC provides instruction to adult immigrants from all over the world, giving students an opportunity to rebuild their lives as they develop confidence in their ability to communicate in English and further their education. On two different occasions this past year, CHP and members of the GSDM chapters of the ASDA and the Hispanic Student Dental Association (HSDA) provided oral health outreach to NDEC students, including oral health education, over 100 dental screenings, referrals, and provision of oral hygiene supplies. Both students and staff at NDEC were welcoming, engaging, and appreciative.

Orchard Gardens 8th Annual Field Trip to GSDM: Forty first- and second-grade children made the trip from the nearby Orchard Gardens K-8 School for a day filled with educational and fun activities. The highlight of this year’s field trip was a new activity introduced to the program where the children took an alginate impression of their thumb and then used dental stone to create a model. GSDM students helped mix the alginate and stone while explaining to the children the more common dental uses for the materials, and the children then pushed their thumbs into the gooey mixture. This day provided an opportunity for the dental students to inspire children to pursue a higher education and possibly a career in dentistry.

Outreach Van Project: The Outreach Van is a student-run project within the Boston University School of Medicine which conducts free screenings and distributes clothing and other basic necessities to the homeless in East Boston. Faculty and students go out in the van one evening per week to serve approximately 20 to 30 people weekly during the colder months and 65 to 75 people weekly when the weather is warmer. GSDM provides dental supplies for distribution to the many people served through this very beneficial outreach program.

Program White Coat: GSDM conducted their annual weeklong summer program designed to introduce Boston area children ages 9 to 11 to dentistry. This program is one of the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine’s pipeline programs, which aims to increase the chances of underserved populations and economically disadvantaged students being accepted into and succeeding in dental school. The week was packed with an interactive and enjoyable schedule that focused on oral health and nutrition. Faculty, staff, and students led children through a role-playing activity in the School’s SLC, demonstrated what goes on in a dental operatory, provided educational lessons and journaling opportunities, and took the children on a field trip to the Museum of Science.

Rosie’s Place “Women to Women” Program: In March 2011, GSDM’s chapter of the American Association of Women Dentists (AAWD) in cooperation with CHP launched a monthly community service initiative named “Women to Women,” aimed at improving the oral health of the women of Rosie’s Place.  This initiative steps the previous efforts up a notch with a standing monthly commitment. The main goal of the monthly events is to improve the oral health of the women by providing screenings and educational information, and answering any medically related questions. Thus far the students have screened 45 women in four months, with many more women stopping by for oral health information or a toothbrush. An added bonus for the student volunteers has been getting to know some of the other groups volunteering at the monthly events and learning about their perspective on oral health and overall health.

Project Welcome: CHP has collaborated with the Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights (BCRHHR) since 1999 to assess and address the oral health needs of torture survivors through GSDM’s Survivors of Torture Oral Health Program. Again this past year all participants received oral health education, dental screenings and referrals, and dental hygiene products.

Thomas Johnson Community Health Center Homework Help Session: CHP faculty and staff participated in a homework help session for grade-school children as a part of BU’s support of Global Day of Service. Several children requested help with their schoolwork in this newly created after-school help session. The Community Center is considering the possibility of making this a regular after-school event.

Yawkey Club of Roxbury Dental Health Fair: The GSDM chapter of ASDA partnered with CHP faculty and staff to host their annual interactive dental health fair for children at the Yawkey Boys and Girls Club of Roxbury. More than 100 children of the Yawkey Club who range in age from elementary to high school attended this event. The fair featured the popular passport format with several stations at which GSDM students taught the children about oral health issues including hygiene, nutrition, consequences of tobacco use, tooth protectors, and dental occupations. The children were encouraged to visit each station to have their passports stamped and receive prizes at the end.