Give Kids A Smile

One of my favorite programs to volunteer with is Give Kids A Smile (GKAS). This program was launched nationally 20 years ago by the American Dental Association and, before the pandemic, happened on the first Friday of February each year. Free oral health education, dental screenings, and dental treatment is received by Richmond City elementary school children who normally cannot afford to see a dentist. As a healthcare provider with my undergraduate degree in dental hygiene, my main focus with the children is always education and discussing the importance of preventative oral hygiene at home. Learning how many children in the Richmond City area that do not have a toothbrush at home breaks my heart. This program holds a special place in my heart because these children cannot help their socioeconomic status, but they deserve the same healthcare advantages as any other child. My role with GKAS is to first help get the room set up for when the children are bussed in from the schools, then when the children get there we line up at the door to greet a child and take them to our chair. Once I have a child in my chair I introduce myself, engage with them to make sure they are not too nervous, and feel comfortable with me. I first ask if any teeth are hurting the child or “feel funny” to make sure they know their feeling are being heard. I explain everything we are going to do and make sure they are comfortable with it as well. I start with just exploring their mouth, checking if they have any clinical signs of decay, infection, or abuse that they need to see a dentist on site for. I then have them hold a mirror and watch me while I brush their teeth, reviewing brushing technique and how to get all surfaces of the teeth and tongue. I then let the child brush for me to see their “skills”. I then have them hold the mirror again and watch me as I floss their teeth and review the technique to hug each tooth with the floss, again asking the child to floss for me after I am done. I ask the child if he/she brushes at home, how often, if he/she flosses, if he/she uses mouth wash, and any other questions about oral hygiene that may come up. I tell the child they get to take home the toothbrush used today, but always ask if they need any extras for siblings or parents, because most of the time they say yes. I then place a fluoride varnish on their teeth to help protect the teeth from getting decay. The last thing I do is fill out their screener describing how their overall hygiene was, if I recommend the child to see a dentist, and if so how soon, and if I saw any emergency issues in the oral cavity. This experience allows me to give back to the community and help those in need. Engaging with children to know their voices are heard and they are cared for can make a huge impact for them.

Mission of Mercy

The Mission of Mercy (MOM) project operates mobile dental clinics in strategic locations across the state, providing preventative, restorative, and surgical dental treatments to more than 2,000 low-income individuals each year. I enjoy volunteering with this organization because their goal is to promote preventative oral health and improve the overall health of underserved populations. Bringing a mobile dental clinic to remote areas helps improve accessibility to those in need and shows care in the community. My time volunteering with MOM includes seeing numerous patients to provide extensive home oral hygiene education and spending the rest of the time cleaning their teeth. I then fill out their screener describing my findings clinically and if they need to next go to the dentist van or if they are done for the day. My experience with this organization always improves my ability to work with patients of diverse backgrounds and find ways to work past new barriers to conquer fear. The teamwork shown at these projects is so unique, it has helped me as a healthcare provider learn the importance of collaboration to provide the best quality care.

Food Bank

Volunteering with Southwest Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank, also known as Feeding America, has been an eye opening experience to the behind the scenes process of what goes into running a Food Bank. My time volunteering with this organization has been spent inspecting donated food and products, sorting donated food and products, and implementing quality control measures to ensure food meets the required safety guidelines. Being organized and understanding the importance of food safety is key during my time with this organization. My experience with the Food Bank has allowed me to get an inside view of the community needs from a nutrition stand point and learn how valuable food banks are to our communities.