Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

Dental Tribune U.S. Edition | May 2013 A3 Temple University’s Kornberg School of Dentistry, the second oldest dental school in continuous operation in the U.S., cel- ebrated 150 years of dental history with a galaeventApril13attheBarnesFoundation in Philadelphia. Alumni from across the globe watched as Kornberg School Dean Amid I. Ismail opened a time capsule that was closed by Dean Gerald Timmons 50 years ago. “Both our nation and the field of den- tistry have seen remarkable advances in the past 150 years,” said Ismail. “When our school first opened in 1863, Abraham Lin- coln was President, and dental anesthesia was non-existent. Today, Barack Obama is commander-in-chief, and innovations in dentistry — many made right here at Tem- ple—havemadeitsopatientscanundergo necessary procedures virtually pain-free.” The dental school provided a free full- service dental clinic as an added element of the celebration. (Source: Temple University) NEWS Natalie Masiuk, third-year pediatric dental student, works in the tobacco booth at the Give Kids a Smile event at the National Dental Museum in Baltimore. Illustration/Provided by the University of Maryland School of Dentistry Founded in 1863, the Kornberg School of Dentistry was among the first schools with strict graduation requirements. Photo/ Provided by Temple University School of Dentistry Ad the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Office of Oral Health, local health departments and feder- ally qualified health centers throughout Maryland. The objective of the program is to place graduates of U.S. pediatric dental residency programs into public safety-net clinics to provide clinical oral health care services to needy children, especially those eligible for Medicaid. (Source: University of Maryland School of Dentistry) Pediatric dental students ‘show and tell’ oral health to Baltimore kids Flashing a big smile of his own at the University of Maryland School of Den- tistry's latest “Give the Kids a Smile” day, Dr. Vineet Dhar, associate professor, said the dentistry can sometimes seem to be a small part of educating pediatric den- tal students. The day at the School's National Dental Museum in Baltimore was for 70 first- grade schoolchildren from nearby James McHenry Elementary School. They were greeted and hosted by 20 of the School of Dentistry's pediatric dentistry students, eager to practice that other part of their curriculum, childhood psychology. Half of the dental students sat or knelt with groups of first-graders in front of colorful, simple exhibits about brush- ing, tooth anatomy, saliva and dozens of other oral health subjects. The other half of the pediatric stu- dents, wearing masks and rubber gloves, sat across from the children, one at a time, for an oral examination and lots of healthy “tooth talk.” “The first thing they (pediatric classes) teach us is that you have to get down to their level, look the kids in the eye,” said Natalie Masiuk, third-year pediatric dental student. Masiuk, in her powder blue scrubs, was surrounded by seven children at a floor-level tobacco exhibit. “Do you know what tobacco is? Lots of people don't know that tobacco is bad for your teeth,” Masiuk said as she pointed to a large poster of stained teeth. “This is what your teeth will look like if you smoke,” she said, evoking a round of “eews” and “yuks.” The American Dental Association (ADA) began the Give Kids a Smile pro- gram in 2003 as a way for ADA members to join with others in the community to provide dental services to underserved children. Approximately 450,000 chil- dren benefit annually from more than 1,500 events. Each year, the UM School of Dentistry invites nearby elementary school children with their teachers and some parents to a Smile day. Dhar watched as his students exam- ined the children. “This introduces the students to community service and in- troduces the kids to good hygienic prac- tices.” He said it was all about providing impressions and retaining, but not of the dental kind. “Helping the kids develop appropriate behavior and attitude about the dentist makes an impression in their minds at this age that they can retain with reinforcing by the teachers here and parents,” said Dhar. Meanwhile, another group of five chil- dren were gathered around third-year pediatric dentistry student Jennifer Drosser, kneeling at the brush-and-floss exhibit. Primed by her training to expect to hear anything from children, Drosser began, “Does anyone here floss?” “Yea, it made my tooth go out,” a child said, in all seriousness. “Well, it must have been a baby tooth,” Drosser responded, quick- ly turning to the Tootharama exhibit on tooth anatomy. She talked the children through the exhibit on the development of human teeth from birth to 35 years old. The children drifted off to the next exhibit, prompting Drosser to say, “We are taught how to talk with them. Sugar bugs are the bacteria that decay teeth. Our mask is an umbrella. We start with terms they understand. And, we have to keep in mind a lot of the issue is that kids are afraid of pain.” During the Give the Kids a Smile vis- it, the children learned dozens of oral health tidbits that they might retain, such as how many times a day to brush, how much saliva a person makes day (600 milliliters), that braces can be cool, what a mouth full of cavities looks like, or what bad breath or good breath smells like (simulated in a flip top box exhibit). Part of the pediatric students’ educa- tion is preparatory training with chil- dren by practice rotations in Maryland pediatric dental offices and community clinics. But the Give the Kids a Smile day is a favorite with the students, says Jessica Lee, who is due to receive her pe- diatric DDS degree in June, which has earned her a residency in the prestigious Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. “I've learned a lot about working with a com- munity and kids by being part of this Give the Kids a Smile day all my four years in dental school,” she said. “The importance of interacting with the com- munity has been emphasized and is the reason we do it.” In addition to educating new pediat- ric dentists, the school's Department of Pediatric Dentistry oversees a Pedi- atric Dental Fellowship program that provides direct clinical oral health care services to underserved Maryland chil- dren. The program is a partnership with University of Maryland School of Dentistry’s hosts its ‘Give the Kids a Smile’ day Temple University School of Dentistry celebrates 150th anniversary Highlights: gala event, free clinic