Orchard Gardens Students Become Dentists for a Day

Sixty second-grade students at Orchard Gardens K-8 School on Albany Street in Boston got a new look at the field of dentistry April 10. For the fourth year, BUSDM hosted the annual Orchard Gardens Sealant Program/Field Trip to BUSDM.

Students learned about oral health in the Simulation Learning Center and participated in an interactive oral health lesson in room G-301. Students in need of dental sealants received them, free of charge, on the school’s sixth floor.

In addition to providing sealants to the 45 children who needed them, the event promotes good oral health and introduces students to the dental profession, according to Kathy Lituri, oral health promotion coordinator for BUSDM’s Division of Community Health Programs.

The field trip is just one component of Smart Smiles, the school-based oral health initiative that provides preventive dental services to children attending Boston Public Schools, including Orchard Gardens. BUSDM students and staff carry out Smart Smiles through a grant from the Oral Health Foundation.

Thanks to students and staff who made the event a success: Zehra Ahmed DMD 10, Drew Nunziata DMD 10, Jerry Ashrafi DMD 10, Swati Chapla DMD 10, Jason Conn DMD 10, Julianne Doyle DMD 10, Reesha Patel DMD 10, Susanna Tejada DMD 10, Alexis Fraser DMD 10, John Kiang DMD 10, Bonhee Koo DMD 10, Erika Kulberg DMD 10, Alexandra Antonescu DMD 10, Jonathan Shinay DMD 10, Adam Polivy DMD 10, Gary Nord DMD 10, Rosie Lacivita DMD 10, Luke Liszka DMD 10, Nick Miner DMD 10, Meghan Ryan DMD 10, Kevin Nietzer DMD 10, Annie (Contance) Burns DMD 10, Stefanie Sunnes DMD 10, Min Lynn DMD 10, Charles Leung DMD 10, Mark Hamanshi DMD 10, Tin Lee DMD 07, Marian Abdalla DMD 08, Oliver Chu DMD 08, Steve Doyle DMD 08, Natasha Larson DMD 08, Samantha Leatherwood DMD 08, Angela Lee DMD 08, Kiran Patel AS 07, Jenn McCormack DMD 08, Fawzi Al-Qatami DMD 07, Pravin Chellamuthu AS 07, Wang Chen DMD 07, Nayaki Chirumamailla AS 07, Laila Kafi DMD 07, Chris Brendemuhl DMD 07, Elizabeth DiBona DMD 07, Priya Acharya DMD 07, Nitika Bhatnagar AS 07, Jalpa Dave AS 07, Diangelly Estrada DMD 07, Aaron Im DMD 07, Leon Yu DMD 07, Amy Matthews DMD 07, Tyler Holland DMD 07, Sophia Lalani DMD 09, Ali Kasemkhani, Kim Ly, James Lee, Hannah Cho, John-Cleeve Soter, Dr. Judith Jones, Brenda Heaton, Thayer Scott, Elliot Arnold, Harpreet Singh, Dr. Carmen Garcia, Dr. Kamar Baloul, Dr. Michelle Henshaw, Susan Cote, Cindy Cadoret, Dr. Dara Cunnion, Kathy Held, Sheree Norquist, Brandon Leickly, Indira Nketiah, and Ludmila Reategui-Sharpe.