Tooth decay affects more children in the U.S. than any other chronic, preventable disease known. For school-age children, untreated tooth decay can result in pain and infection contributing to attendance problems while interfering with speaking skills and their ability to learn. Dental decay can also prevent children from eating the proper nutritious foods, thus contributing to other systemic problems caused by a poor diet.
MTI Dental Assisting Students Kevin Lucas and Laterria Mann help make smiles bright during the MTI Dental Assisting Program’s We Care Project event on March 22, 2013.
“We Care” is the name of a service-learning project facilitated by the Manatee Technical Institute Dental Assisting Program. Dental assisting students, under the direct supervision of local volunteer dentists, perform pediatric teeth polishing, fluoride treatments, dental sealants, and dental radiographs to underserved children of the Manatee School District. The dentists provide examinations and referrals to those children needing additional restorative treatment and the Manatee District School Nurses locate appropriate resources for free or reduced dental care for the children in need. The first project event was piloted in the 2008-2009 school year and was a great success. It was originally planned to be a single annual event, however due to the enormous need identified by the school nurses, the program was expanded to occur four times during each school year.The MTI dental assisting program continues to offer this service-learning project each school year to the underserved K-12 students in the ManateeSchool District as the school nurses identify the children with the most need in their assigned sites. The project not only benefits the children it serves but also provides a valuable experiences to the students of the Dental Assisting Program. Kimberly Bland, program director of the Dental Assisting Program at Manatee Technical Institute and Cheryl Stuart, school nurse at McNeal Elementary are the coordinators of the project and will continue to work to procure funding and dental community volunteerism to allow the program to continue each school year.
