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Class of 2022 Dental Hygiene students to host free dental treatments for children

March 29, 2022

CCRI’s Class of 2022 Dental Hygiene students will host a free dental sealant and fluoride treatment children’s clinic as their semester community project. 

Named “Under the ‘Sea’ Lant,” the free clinic is scheduled for Saturday, April 23 from 9 am – 1 pm at the CCRI Flanagan Campus in Lincoln, RI. The treatments are available for children 17 years of age or younger, and all children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Treatments are by appointment only. You can schedule by calling 401-333-7330. 

CCRI’s Dental Hygiene program seeks to prepare students as dental hygienists who can competently and safely perform dental hygiene procedures; display the personal qualities of integrity, responsibility, and reliability; function as active members of the dental care team; and are committed to professional development through lifelong learning. 

“Childhood tooth decay is the number one preventable disease in the United States. The Dental Hygiene Class of 2022 put its primary focus for this community outreach project on preventing this disease. We saw an opportunity to give back to our communities by choosing to provide sealants and fluoride treatments to young people,” said Ingrid Kakisis, a CCRI dental hygiene student and chair of this community event. 

“Sealant treatments are essential, especially for young people, because dental sealants can reduce dental decay by 80%, creating a barrier on the grooves of the teeth, prohibiting bacteria from entering or penetrating the tooth and causing decay,” added Kakisis on the importance of this treatment.

Parents and children coming to the clinic can expect that children will receive sealants on qualifying teeth and fluoride treatment. Sealants are a tooth-colored material placed in the grooves of adult molars; this is the most common spot for decay to occur. Fluoride varnish is a clear material placed on all tooth surfaces and helps prevent decay or, in some cases, slow the progression of decay. Both are non-invasive procedures. The appointments will last approximately one hour. 

“As dental health care students at CCRI, the college requires them to plan, promote, and execute a free dental hygiene clinic to the demographic group of their choice at our state-of-the-art dental hygiene clinic. While an event like this provides our students with a great opportunity to practice their studies, it more importantly builds a foundation of giving back to the community and understanding that the value of a smile begins with them,” said Professor Kathleen J. Gazzola of CCRI’s Dental Hygiene Program.

As part of CCRI’s Dental Hygiene Program, the college runs a dental hygiene clinic, a classroom/learning environment for student dental hygienists located at the Flanagan Campus, that provides free dental services to the community between September and May. 

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