(HARLINGEN) – For two decades the Dental Assistant program at Texas State Technical College has organized a community service event at a local Head Start program or preschool to teach children about good oral health care and nutrition.
This semester the 27 students from the program’s Dental Prevention class gathered at the Wesley United Methodist Church Preschool dressed as tooth fairies and a tooth mascot to host child-friendly activities.
“Our program is about community service. We work with the community every day,” said Dental Assistant lead instructor Jean Lashbrook.
Lashbrook added that the goal of this event is to familiarize children with dental care so they’re not afraid of going to the dentist.
“We want to encourage these children to practice good oral care, while giving our students the opportunity to practice patient education and interaction,” she said.
Students like Amanda Garcia, who is in the last semester of the program and vice president of the Dental Explorers Club, taught the preschoolers about brushing, flossing, “good” and “bad” foods, and how to make healthy snacks to try to prevent cavities. There were also coloring stations and games for the children.
“It was a great experience being able to teach these children about brushing and flossing,” said Garcia. “This event helped me better understand the importance of communication and how different it has to be, depending on the patient.”
Every child went home with goodie bags filled with floss, toothbrushes, toothpaste and everyone’s favorite, stickers.
Dental Explorers Club President Clarisa Chapa agreed that it was great getting to apply what she learned in class to a real-world scenario.
“Introducing oral health and healthy foods at this age is beneficial toward their future,” said Chapa. “I enjoyed it so much that after graduating I’m thinking about specializing in pediatric dentistry.”
Dental Assistant instructor and 2005 program alumna Kristen Deleon said this project is a requirement for anyone pursuing a certificate in Dental Assistant, but it is also what everyone looks forward to.
“This is everyone’s favorite project. It’s not only a great community service event, but also a positive TSTC memory,” said Deleon. “This is the thing alumni reminisce about the most.”
After completing the nine-month program, students will earn a certificate and have the skills they need to work as a dental assistant or dental laboratory technician. Many find employment almost immediately at area dental clinics.
“The experience this project gives our students is invaluable,” added Deleon. “It prepares them to enter the field.”
Dental Assistant is also offered at TSTC’s Waco campus.
For more information, visit tstc.edu.