The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry will provide 150 underserved children from Lincoln, Hastings, Lexington, Norfolk and Madison free dental treatment and education during Children’s Dental Day Friday, Feb. 4. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the college, which is located at 40th and Holdrege streets in Lincoln.
This annual event helps underserved Nebraska children, while providing an opportunity for dental and dental hygiene students to gain more clinical experience. Children from low income, uninsured and underinsured families will receive cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants, cavity fillings, education and emergency care as needed.
All 240 dental and dental hygiene students, the faculty, staff and residents will donate their services, as well as several volunteer dentists from Lincoln and others from the community. Interpreters will be available for those families who need them. The combined total of dental services provided on Feb. 4 is expected to be around $60,000.
Children’s Dental Day also provides the opportunity to teach children the importance of good dental habits through educational and entertaining activities. Students dressed as dental characters will entertain the children with games, including those that teach good snack choices, how soda pop affects their teeth and what decay looks like. Lunch and healthy snacks will be provided. Children also receive a goody bag of items to take home, including toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, activity books and stickers.
Children participating in the event were pre-screened in their communities by volunteer dentists and dental hygienists. These volunteers donate their time to provide oral health screenings that indicate the type of care the children will need when they come to the college on Feb. 4.
Financial sponsors of Children’s Dental Day are: Ameritas Insurance Co., Sowers Club, Nebraska Dental Hygiene Association and several private donors.