For six hours Monday approximately 185 children received dental care they might otherwise not have gotten thanks to 200 UNMC dental and dental hygiene students and residents. 
While honing their skills, the dental students performed exams, cleaned teeth, filled cavities, did sealants and fluoride treatments, and pulled a few teeth.
Children’s Dental Day, hosted by the UNMC College of Dentistry in Lincoln, was an effort to address the oral health needs of Nebraska children from low income, uninsured and homeless families.
The marathon event drew children from 100 miles around Lincoln. Participating schools were: Saratoga Elementary School of Lincoln; Lincoln Elementary School of Grand Island; Harvard Elementary School of Harvard; and students from four schools in Beatrice: Cedar Elementary, Stoddard Elementary, Paddock Elementary and Lincoln Elementary.
John Reinhardt, D.D.S., dean of the UNMC College of Dentistry, said the event was a great learning experience for the dental and dental hygiene students.
“This is the first trip to the dentist for many of these children,” Dr. Reinhardt said. We’ve chosen a few of these communities because they don’t have fluoridated water; consequently, the students are seeing more dental decay than usual.
“Despite the advances of dental science, about 20 percent of the population still has about 80 percent of the cavities. These kids here today are part of that percentage. The need is great for this service.
“The first reason we do this is because these children really need the care and they are unable to access oral health care,” he said. “They have some pretty serious needs. When they leave here, we hope they’ll feel better, look better and we’ll have taught them how to care for their teeth. At the end of the day, a lot of them wore big smiles on their faces.”
Brent Darby, D.D.S., pediatric resident at the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute in Omaha, said students saw abscessed teeth in children, something they may not normally see.
“It’s a great service,” Dr. Darby said. “One of the kids seen here had an abscessed tooth. If it hadn’t been taken care of, it probably would have turned into an acute infection and the child might have ended up in the emergency room.”
Pat Janulewicz of Grand Island accompanied her grandchildren, Carlos and Elena Rodriguez and Jesse Janulewicz, who received sealants, cleanings and fillings. “The grandchildren don’t really have access to funds for dental care,” Janulewicz said. “This helped us find out how their teeth are doing.”
The college worked hard in making the children’s dental experience enjoyable by providing a carnival-like atmosphere with such interactive, educational games as “What’s in the Mouth,” “Concept of Tooth Decay,” and “Knock Down the Bad Tooth.” Prizes included electric toothbrushes, toothpaste and sugarless gum. Besides the tooth fairy, children visited with the Pedoman and Orthoman, respectively dental students Michael Browning and Scott Weyers.
Jorge Villatoro, 11, of Grand Island left Lincoln with cleaner teeth and a different attitude. “At first when I came here, I thought it would be boring, but it wasn’t. You win prizes.”
The Hope Medical Outreach Coalition of Omaha, and volunteers from the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, dental hygiene faculty and students from Central Community College and dental assistant students from Southeast Community College also were involved in the event.
Financial sponsors of Children’s Dental Day were Ameritas Insurance Co., the Sower’s Club of Lincoln, Inc., the Nebraska Dental Association and Hope Medical Outreach Coalition. Donors of dental and other supplies are DENTSPLY, Oral B, Proctor and Gamble (Crest), Patterson Dental Supply, Inc., G.C. America, Inc., Ultradent, Sara Lee Breads and Pastries, Pepsi-Cola Products, Fairbury Hot Dogs, Colby Ridge Popcorn, Hy-Vee Inc., Super Saver Grocery and Weaver’s Potato Chips.
Photo cutlines in descending order: Laura Rothe, senior dental student, left, and Richard Flores, sophomore dental student, exam one of their patient’s teeth. Jamie Reiber and Christine Shipman pose with the Tooth Fairy, dental hygiene student, Amy Dayhoff. A clown shapes a balloon for Christian Cervantes of Beatrice.