BLINN DENTAL HYGIENE STUDENTS “GIVE KIDS A SMILE”
The smiles on more than 70 children’s faces in the Brazos Valley are shining brighter today.
Blinn’s 27 dental hygiene students teamed up Thursday with more than 40 dental professionals and 20 volunteers from the Texas A&M University Pre-Dental Society to provide dental services for 72 children at the seventh annual Give Kids a Smile, an initiative of the American Dental Association that provides exams, X-rays, dental cleaning, sealants and oral health education to local children without access to regular dental care.
“I had a lot of fun!” said 10-yea-rold Karla Calderon of Bryan. “I learned how to brush my teeth and how to floss better. All the helpers are so nice. I like it here.”
Blinn’s Dental Hygiene Program received over $1,000 in sponsorships for this year’s event. Since the inaugural event in 2009, Give Kids a Smile has provided 441 cleanings, 431 fluoride treatments, 399 X-rays, 1,184 sealants and 448 exams, totaling $130,057 in free dental services.
Megan Gilbert, a second-year student, served as an event coordinator alongside Morgan Davis and Kayla Broussard.
“The kids are so excited when they leave because they know that their teeth are clean,” Gilbert said. “Most of them don’t even care about the toy at the end because they’re just so excited to have been here. This is what I love to do and I’m thankful that Blinn provides a way for me to do it.”
The Brazos Valley Dental Society, Brazos Valley Dental Hygiene Society, Bryan Independent School District and local dentistry professionals have been instrumental in making the event a success. Several local dentists volunteer at the event and offer restorative treatments at no cost to the family.
“We are so appreciative of how the community comes together to make this happen,” Wood said. “When our students leave here, they can take the experience they gained through Give Kids a Smile and start a similar program in their community. We not only want to give them the tools to become top-notch hygienists, but to touch the lives of people everywhere through service.”
Give Kids a Smile is part of Blinn’s Service Learningprogram, which combines community service with classroom instruction or student club activities, focusing on critical, reflective thinking and civic responsibility to engage students. Service Learning involves students in activities that address local needs while developing their academic or professional skills and commitment to their community. Blinn students have documented more than 456,000 hours of Service Learning and community service hours, valued at almost $9.1 million by the Points of Light Foundation.
The Dental Hygiene Program is part of Blinn’s Division of Health Sciences. Based at the Texas A&M Health Science Centerspan> the Division of Health Sciences offers associate degree nursing, dental hygiene, emergency medical services, physical therapist assistant, radiologic technology, fire science, therapeutics manufacturing, veterinary technology and vocational nursing programs designed to train students for high-demand professions.
Registration for Blinn’s May Minimester is available through May 17. For registration and financial aid information, visit www.blinn.edu. Story and photos courtesy of Blinn College.
