Dental/dental hygiene trainees discuss oral health outreach to underserved populations. (2023)
So last week I actually was at Harford County, which is a different county where a lot of underserved populations reside. And there’s one dental hygienist who goes around those Title I schools and provide dental sealants for the students. And I thought it was super rewarding because we really have to start young to educate [about] oral hygiene. Meaning that these kids, they can do multiplications, they can do additions, but they don’t know how to brush their teeth or how long to brush their teeth. So I thought that was very rewarding to even say like, “Oh, I didn’t know to brush more than one minute”, or “I didn’t know I have to floss when I have gaps in my teeth.” You know what I mean? They can comprehend, but the information that’s getting to them is very limited. So I think when I am out, that’s something I would do. And I think it’s important for dental providers to actually go to the patients instead of them coming to us. So whatever we can do, like go on mission trips, volunteer work, there’s Mission of Mercy.