Yesterday I had a really neat opportunity to be a part of the Children's Health Connection held here in Ogden at an elementary school. As dental hygiene students working toward our bachelor's degree, we are required to get at least 40 hours of community service in a dental setting. At first I really had no idea what this event was, but I soon found out!
The Children's Health Connection provides thousands of underprivileged children to come and have many different services performed for free. They received a dental check-up, medical exam, had blood work done if needed, hearing and vision tests, developmental tests, got a hair cut, received a new pair of underwear and socks, got a new book bag with a new book in it....and from what I could tell had a great time.
It made me really sad to see some of the conditions of these kids' teeth. Some kids were 8-10 years old and didn't know what floss was. One girl was 8 years old and her bottom 6-year-old molars (permanent teeth) were completely rotted to the gums. It was a good opportunity for us to teach the kids and parents about their oral health, but it is also discouraging because I know they probably won't do much to change how they take care of their teeth.
Although it was a long day, it was really fun to be part of such a great thing and be one of many volunteers!
1 week ago
1 comment:
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