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University students teach kids about oral hygiene

University students are focusing their passion and knowledge to help local elementary schools learn more about oral hygiene.

Pre-dentistry biology majors Ryan Chaliff and Zach Dubin are co-presidents of Dental Dogs, a community service organization centered around teaching kids how to maintain oral hygiene and good overall health.

Pre-dentistry biology majors Zach Dubin and Ryan Chaliff are the co-presidents of Dental Dogs. The club helps kids learn about dental hygiene. ALAN LIOW/Staff

Dental Dogs, created by Chaliff and Dubin in the fall of 2011, was started to help people with dentistry and give students the opportunity to work with their passion. Both wanted to do something more than just pre-dental club — they wanted to help.

The organization visited kindergarten students at Barnett Shoals Elementary to educate about oral hygiene.

“Athens-Clarke County is recognized as one of the poorest counties in Georgia and many kids don’t have the opportunity to go to the dentist,” Chaliff said. “Because of this, it’s important to instill good oral hygiene habits for children at a young age.”

Chaliff heard about local elementary schools wanting people to come talk to kids and educate them about dentistry, so they decided to make this idea a reality.

During February, national dental awareness month, members from Dental Dogs spoke to over 100 students about how to take care of their teeth. Chaliff said children were given egg timers for students to practice brushing for two minutes. They were also given the opportunity to practice good brushing habits on a mouth model.

Dental Dogs also provided an educational video and talked about how maintaining oral hygiene was important for overall health.

Chaliff said the visitation was a complete success. Members were pleasantly surprised with the enthusiasm from not only the students, but the faculty as well.

“Before they had us teach about dentistry, we were involved with the kids and helping them [learn] counting,” Dubin said.

He said that overall, it was a great experience because the teachers incorporated members into the classroom.

Chaliff said Dental Dogs is working on putting together goodie bags of donated supplies from local dentist offices to give to the students from Barnett Shoals.

Most recently, Dental Dogs has been collaborating with other organizations like the Pre-dental Club and Volunteer UGA, an organization that brings community service groups together. They’ve also contacted other local elementary schools and nursing homes in hopes of educating more people about dentistry. Dental Dogs received a donation of children dentistry books that they plan on distributing soon.

For Chaliff and Dubin, dentistry is enjoyable because of the relationships they have been able to build with others.

“I like the one on one interaction and working with someone else,” he said. “I also just like being able to help someone and make them smile afterwards.”

Dubin said when he sees someone leaving with a smile, he can tell how much happier and grateful they are.

“When I see people come in and leave with a nice smile, you can tell that they’re leaving feeling more confident,” Dubin said.

As pre-dental students, Chaliff and Dubin follow the same path as other pre-medicine students. Each must complete four years of undergraduate courses and then apply to dentistry school where they will complete four more years of school. After dentistry school, they will move on to complete residencies and specialize if they want to.

Chaliff said dentistry is a very competitive field. There is only one dentistry school in Georgia, and there are only about 70 spots for all applicants throughout the entire state.

In the future, Chaliff plans to specialize as an oral surgeon. As of now, he is getting involved with mission programs where students travel to Central America to assist dentists and work with local people.

Chaliff and Dubin stressed the importance of community service involvement because it encourages other dentists to give back as well.

“I think when we tell people we’re going to teach and work with kids, they get excited about that,” Dubin said.

Original article can be found at http://redandblack.com/2012/03/10/univ-students-teach-kids-about-oral-hygiene/

Tens of thousands of dentists practice sedation dentistry, and sedation continuing education organization, DOCS Education, is taking the week of March 12 to raise awareness on sedation safety.

Each year beginning the Monday after daylight savings time, DOCS Education hosts Sedation Safety Week, highlighting specific issues vital to safe and rewarding sedation implementation. All dentists are highly urged to participate by testing their safety equipment and checking shelf-life dates of supplies as well as reviewing state regulations and safety procedures.

National chairman of Sedation Dentistry Safety Week and one of the world’s leading sedation dentistry educators, Dr. Michal Silverman, states: “While sedation dentistry has become the mainstream alternative for fearful and anxious patients, Sedation Safety Week is designed to reinforce the dental profession’s commitment to being constantly vigilant on behalf of patient safety.”

Over 90 million Americans suffer from some form of dental fear. To help dentists continue safely and successfully treating these patients, Sedation Safety Week reviews key steps that all sedation dentists and their team must take with every sedation case.

This year Sedation Safety Week features: “The Essential Sedation Safety Checklist” (Monday); Pediatric Dentistry: safety during the caries crisis (Tuesday); Emergency Preparedness (Wednesday); Sedation Regulations (Thursday); and Sedation Dentist of the Year (Friday).

Dentists who would like more information on sedation dentistry safety or training are encouraged to phone 877-325-3627.

Consumers with questions about sedation dentistry can call (888) 858-7972.

About DOCS Education
DOCS Education offers courses throughout the United States and Canada illustrating safe and effective techniques in oral, pediatric, and IV sedation dentistry as well as emergency preparedness. Since 1999 our faculty has instructed over 20,000 dental professionals in these procedures, which affect patients of all ages. Based in Seattle, Washington, DOCS Education was founded to address the estimated 92 million Americans who are fearful of dental care.

Check out the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/3/prweb9267399.htm