By Rachel Donohue
Our college’s dental students, faculty and staff are very passionate about community involvement. On April 9, students, faculty and assistants participated in the Special Smiles program during with a Special Olympics event hosted at Eastside High School in Gainesville.
Four faculty members, one resident, six dental students, three dental assistants and three family members from the dental volunteers participated in Special Smiles, a non-intrusive dental screening that provides athletes with hygiene education to help ensure they are doing an adequate job of brushing and flossing. Athletes also learn about nutrition and how their diet affects their total health. The athletes were also provided with a list of dentists and clinics in their area that will treat patients with special needs, should they have difficulty finding a dentist.
This is not the first year that the college has participated in the event, and students and faculty are looking forward to next year’s Special Smiles where they can continue to improve the lives of our community.