Dental Hygiene Students Help DeKalb County Board of Health Promote Healthy Smiles

First year Georgia Perimeter College dental hygiene students Vladimir Tarasov (left) and Christen Davis (as the Tooth Fairy) assist DeKalb County Board of Health's Dental Health Services Director Dr. Dwayne Turner as he checks a dental sealant applied by another student.  The willing patient is Dresden Elementary third grader Raul Lopez.

Georgia Perimeter College dental hygiene students learned how important good oral health is for keeping school children healthy and active. The college recently partnered with Dr. Dwayne Turner, the director of dental health of the DeKalb County Board of Health during a Seal Georgia event.

The awareness event is sponsored by the American Dental Hygiene Association. Aiming to prevent untreated oral disease among disadvantaged children, the event raises awareness about the importance of good oral health, the events promote preventive care and provide dental sealants to low-income children.

Students from Dresden Elementary School met the Tooth Fairy and received education about oral care, dental screenings and over 100 free sealants. Half of the patients were referred for additional public health services.

“Exposing dental hygiene students to the importance of good oral healthcare to prevent dental diseases among at-risk populations is a critical part of motivating future young people to enter the field of oral healthcare,” said S. Elizabeth Ford, M.D., M.B.A., district health director of the DeKalb County Board of Health.

-Story by Vickie Elisa, Division Director, Marketing and Business Development, DeKalb County Board of Health; S. Elizabeth Ford, MD, District Health Director, District 3-5

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