Young Visitors Express Appreciation, in Their Own Words

On Tuesday, June 11, 2013, 60 children from the Edward W. Brooke Charter School in Roslindale visited the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) for the Brooke School’s third annual field trip to GSDM. The three classes of children who attended wrote thank you letters to volunteers and recounted what they learned.

Students were divided into three groups named after three tooth types.

Alyxia said:

I learned that incisors are your biting teeth, canine teeth are the sharp ones, and molars are your chewing teeth.

They began the day in the School of Dental Medicine, room 301, where they enjoyed healthy snacks, participated in educational activities, asked questions of dental students, and met the decay-fighting superhero Captain Cavity Fighter. Playing the role on this day was Erum Hussain AS 14.

To Captain Cavity Fighter, Rebecca said:

Thank you for teaching me new facts and teaching me why it is important to brush your teeth, which I always do. Thank you for letting us visit the Henry M. Goldman School.

The day continued at the Simulation Learning Center, where children became “dentists for a day.” First, they heard presentations from GSDM dental students on topics such as how often to visit the dentist, how to brush properly, and how to keep the mouth healthy.

In her letter, Aileen said:

I learned that I should brush for two minutes, not one, and that I should brush after every meal I eat. I learned that the dentist is not someone you should visit every 10 years but once or twice a year.

The youngsters then dressed in protective yellow gowns, masks, and purple gloves and began their experiments. They used yarn (“floss”) and each other’s fingers (“teeth”) to practice correct flossing techniques. They took impressions of their thumbs and conducted the renowned GSDM sealant exercise:  brushing both plain and then sealant-coated walnuts, both covered in food, and comparing the results.

Charlene wrote to Oral Health Promotion Director Kathy Lituri:

Thank you for planning this field trip. It was really fun. I learned that you need sealants to protect your teeth so it is easier to brush. Plaque carries bacteria and is bad for you.

Schoolchildren ended their trip with a pizza party (including healthy snacks such as fruit, and water) back at 100 East Newton Street.

Kacee summarized the students’ experience at GSDM when she wrote:

I really really really want to become a dentist when I grow up.

Student volunteers included: Rohini Agawal AS 14, Emogefe Akajagbor DMD 16, John Costello DMD 16, Rana Gorges AS 14, Swapnil Gupta AS 14, Erum Hussain AS 14, Roli Malla Joshi AS 14, Sukjhinder Kaur AS 14, Snehal Lakhkara AS 14, Matt Mara DMD 16, Jessica Metcalfe DMD 14, Champaka Nagaraju AS 14, Nathan Ng DMD 14, Raj Kamal Sohi AS 14, and pre-dental students Bakr Arim and Clare Kim.

Staff and faculty volunteers included: Lina Benslimane, Cindy Cadoret, Gladys Carrasco, Corinna Culler, Joyce Ganas, Chelsea Johnston, Ana Keohane, Kathy Lituri, Brian Mahoney, Sheree Norquist, Thayer Scott, Martin Ugarte-Chavez, and Ben Wheeler.

Photos are available on Facebook and Flickr.