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Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic welcomes Ysleta ISD students for Sun City Smiles event [1] ['Special To El Paso Matters', 'Learn More About Texas Tech Health El Paso', 'El Paso Matters', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width'] Date: 2024-05-07 El Paso, Texas – There were 120 fresh smiles on Thursday, April 18, when students from Capistrano and Pasodale Elementary Schools received free dental screenings and cleanings during the Sun City Smiles event at the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic. “For us, as future clinicians, we love having events that provide services to those who might not have the opportunity to get them, especially children,” said third-year dental student Gentry Nielsen. “It helps us become better qualified to work as clinicians and becoming more confident working with children.” The Hunt School of Dental Medicine students also serve as role models. Hopefully, these future patients see themselves in the dental students, who are attending school close to home, and are inspired to become future health care heroes by attending Texas Tech Health El Paso. The Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic is the clinical practice of the Hunt School of Dental Medicine, located at the Paso del Norte Health Foundation Building on the Texas Tech Health El Paso campus. The facility offers students hands-on training and an early introduction to patient care, a rare opportunity among dental schools. “By offering events like this, our students are able to work with first and second graders, and the children get to experience a dental exam and see what it’s like to be in a dental school,” said Dr. Todd Parco, assistant professor of pediatric dentistry. “If someone in the community has an oral health concern but are unable to get the care they need, the dental school is a great place to come.” Hunt School of Dental Medicine third-year students provided faculty-supervised care during Sun City Smiles while also educating the elementary students on good oral health and study habits they can use during Dental Smiles Month in May, and beyond. The oral health education also benefits the rest of the family, as studies have shown children are the biggest influence on their family’s health care practices. “This is a wonderful partnership that provides an essential service at no cost for our young students, and we are eager to see this collaboration grow,” said Ysleta Superintendent Xavier De La Torre. “Not only does it provide practical experience for Texas Tech Health El Paso dental students, but it helps demystify the experience of going to a dentist for our students and teaches a valuable lesson in maintaining good dental health.” Aubrey Mendez, a second grader at Pasodale, said she was excited to go home and continue practicing the simple, but effective, methods that dental students emphasized during the Sun City Smiles event. “They reminded me to brush my teeth at night and in the morning and floss every day,” she said. The importance of oral health in children Many children do not have regular dental care access. Studies show that more than 51 million hours of classroom time are lost annually in U.S. schools due to largely preventable oral health conditions, especially among underserved communities along the U.S.-Mexico border and surrounding Texas Tech Health El Paso. Cavities are the most common chronic disease of childhood in the United States, with more than half of children aged 6 to 8 having a cavity in at least one of their baby (primary) teeth and more than half of adolescents aged 12 to 19 having a cavity in at least one of their permanent teeth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A child’s chance of getting cavities can be higher if a family member has cavities; they consume sugary foods and drinks; require specialized care or wear braces or orthodontics. “The most important thing you can do to maintain good oral health is to brush your teeth,” Nielsen said. “And smile. It’s so great to see children with a healthy smile.” To avoid cavities and maintain oral health, the Hunt School of Dental Medicine students shared the following advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Brush their teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Parents and caregivers can help children brush their teeth until they have good brushing skills. Babies should have their teeth brushed twice a day with a soft, small‑bristled toothbrush and plain water when they start to come in. If children are younger than 6, watching them brush is necessary to make sure they use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste and always spit it out rather than swallow. Receive dental sealants when appropriate. Drink tap water that contains fluoride. Keeping dental care close to home Because 75% of dental school graduates open practices near their dental schools, the Hunt School of Dental Medicine is decreasing oral health concerns along the U.S.-Mexico border by training future dentists close to home. Providing community events like Sun City Smiles allows those future dentists to begin working with their future patients early on. Since opening in 2021, the clinic has provided more than 37,000 hours of reduced-cost dental care to Borderplex patients. Dental Smiles Month will continue with a free screening and affordable dental care day open for the public on May 23 at the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic, 222 Rick Francis St., El Paso, TX 79905. Space is limited and the community is encouraged to make an appointment by calling 915-215-6700. To learn more about how the Hunt School of Dental Medicine and the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic are giving our Borderplex something to smile about visit ttuhscepimpact.org. [END] --- [1] Url: https://elpasomatters.org/2024/05/07/texas-tech-dental-oral-health-clinic-welcomes-ysleta-isd-students-for-sun-city-smiles-event/ Published and (C) by El Paso Matters.org Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-ND 4.0 International. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/elpasomatters/