Orchard Gardens Students Learn What Being a Dentist is All About

The Orchard Gardens Sealant Program/Field Trip to Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine (BUGSDM) took place on Friday, April 18. Sixty-five children from four second grade classrooms at Orchard Gardens K-8 School participated. Organizer and Community Health Programs (CHP) Oral Health Promotion Coordinator Kathy Lituri said, "This was the fifth year, and in my opinion, the best ever."

This year’s field trip differed from previous trips, as the students took part in a mini dental health fair with six stations and topics that they all visited in order to complete a "passport" to dental health. Students also had a lesson in being a dentist that included hand washing, getting the dental operatory ready, and putting on gowns, gloves, and masks. Students finished off the trip with a lesson on nutrition as they were served yogurt and fruit parfaits for snacks at a pizza party.

During the trip some of the children had sealants, cleaning, and fluoride provided by BUGSDM students in the sixth floor dental treatment center. There were 46 volunteers that participated, including AS 1 and 2 students and DMD 3 and 4 students, as well as Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Services Forsyth Dental Hygiene program students and others from General Dentistry and CHP.

Lituri emphasized what an important role volunteers played in the success of the field trip, adding, "The success of this event truly relied on the commitment and dedication of volunteers. They all filled a different role in the organization and execution of the event and most importantly each and every one of them had a positive impact on the children they encountered."

The field trip is one component of the school-based oral health initiative, Smart Smiles, that provides preventive dental services to children attending Boston Public Schools, including Orchard Gardens K-8 School. Smart Smiles is part of CHP’s Wellness in Community, School and Workplace Grant funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.