SIU SDM Provides Services to More Than 200 Children During National Dental Health Month
The Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SDM) provided free oral exams to 216 children during February as part of National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM).
The SDM Community and Preventive Dentistry Program invited local elementary school children to the Alton campus throughout February for free exams and comprehensive, fun and interactive oral health education. In total, 253 students attended from three elementary schools – Lovejoy, Roxana Central and South Roxana.
The SDM has conducted the program for more than 20 years. School children came to the Alton campus twice a week, although two sessions had to be canceled because of bad weather.
SIU SDM Year III and Year IV dental students are involved in the NCDHM program. The learning centers focus on oral-systemic connections, appropriate dietary and beverage choices and oral hygiene.
“The experiment table teaches about the effects of acids in drinks on teeth and bones,” said Poonam Jain, BDS, MS, MPH, director of SIU SDM Community and Preventive Dentistry. “The children enjoy our spinning wheels that have questions about diet and hygiene.”
At the end of each session, all participating children received an oral health kit and each participating teacher receives a set of educational resources.
Photo: Josh Heimerdinger, Year IV SDM student, checks a student’s mouth for cavities.
