Students help give kids free dental care

On Jan. 1 and 2, kids were given free dental care in the clinical building.

Give Kids a Smile was a free dental clinic for children in which cleanings, exams, x-rays, fluoride varnishes, and sealants were provided to children completely free of cost. This event was planned and provided for by Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Department of Dental Hygiene.

The event was a statewide effort to provide free services to children, whether or not they can pay, because they deserve to get the treatments they need. Area dental professionals helped out at the event as well.

The event was part of a national program sponsored by the American Dental Association. Planning for it began back in October 2017. Both days were busy and successful. Students were encouraged to attend the event as well and 97 out of the 110 student slots were filled.

This event proved successful in two different ways: Everyone was able to receive the care they needed and the student dental hygienists were able to assist alongside of practiced professionals.

There were 40 dental hygiene students who participated in the event on Thursday under supervision of an instructor. This experience helped them a lot as they got to experience a real patient face to face. They also assisted the community volunteers who came on Friday. They learn a lot during these two days as they saw so many children.

“The event went as expected,” said Brigitte Cooper. “The majority of patients came to their appointments and we provided care as expected.”

Amira Abdulkadir