“Countdown” Keeps Kindergarteners in Good Oral Health

BUSDM’s Division of Community Health Programs and 22 first- through fourth-year DMD students welcomed more than 100 families, including 45 kindergarteners, as they eagerly entered the Boston Children’s Museum‘s Dr. Seuss room–turned dental health room–August 29. BUSDM offered the five-year-olds free dental screenings as part of Countdown to Kindergarten, a year-long schedule of events planned by the Boston Public Schools each year to assist families as children start school. This marks the third consecutive year BUSDM has volunteered with the program.

Faculty, staff, and students filled the room with interactive stations where children learned about dental health, good nutrition, dental sealants, and fluoride; and received free toothbrushes, stickers, and educational materials. Lines formed at one of the most popular stations, where children had a "happy tooth" or another dental design painted on their faces and arms. At another stop, BUSDM staff read Lauren Child’s book I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato, in which main characters Charlie and Lola give imaginative names to ordinary vegetables to encourage healthy eating.

BUSDM answered questions from the children’s families and ran a Smart Smiles booth, where parents learned about BUSDM’s school-based initiative to provide oral health education, dental screenings, sealants, and fluoride to many second and third graders in more than 50 Boston elementary schools.

For many third-year DMD student volunteers, the event offered their first chance to do dental screenings and they welcomed the opportunity. “This event is a great way to connect students to the community, to expose them to the city and people outside of the dental school,” says Oral Promotion Coordinator Kathy Lituri, who organizes CHP’s participation in Countdown to Kindergarten and the department’s other community outreach events each year.

CHP thanks the following student and staff volunteers for making the event such a great success: Alexandra Antonescu DMD 10, Joanna Ayala DMD 07, Kerry Anzenberg DMD 09, Karlene Boparai DMD 08, Jason Conn DMD 10, Azadeh Eman DMD 10, Jason Hamel DMD 08, Paul Johnson DMD 08, Sophia Lalani DMD 09, Samantha Leatherwood DMD 08, Angela Lee DMD 08, Kersden Loretoni DMD 08, Ann Ly DMD 09, Karen Mele DMD 10,  Michelle Peart DMD 08, David Park DMD 08, Reesha Patel DMD 10, Marhan Rashedi DMD 07, Megan Ryan DMD 10, Robin Yamaguma DMD 10,  Stephaine Tsai DMD 08, Yoko Tsukada DMD 08, Natalie Hagel, Brandon Leickly, Indira Nketiah, Sheree Norquist, and Harpreet Singh.

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