NYU College of Dentistry Providing Oral Healthcare for Children from Migrant and Asylum-seeking Families MORE THAN 110,000 people seeking asylum have arrived in New York City since last spring—many of them families with young children. These children are facing a range of challenges, from the trauma of a difficult journey to the United States to unstable housing and language barriers in their new schools. One little-discussed challenge is poor oral health and a high prevalence of cavities. Research shows that refugee children experience many barriers to receiving dental care, including cost, different cultural norms and beliefs about oral health, difficulty navigating the healthcare system, and language barriers. NYU Dentistry’s Department of Pediatric Dentistry has been working to remove these obstacles to provide a range of services to meet the oral health needs of children from migrant and asylum-seeking families in New York City—often where they already are. Their approach is three-fold: Outreach events. NYU dental professionals and students take part in outreach events to provide oral health education, toothbrushes, dental exams, and apply fluoride varnish to children’s teeth. Thus far, CONTINUED ON PAGE 13
1
Assisting at outreach event in New York City school are Kamen Cheung, fourth-year dental student at NYU COD, and Lorraine Santana, Bringing Smiles Dental Enrichment Program intern.
D E CE M BE R 2 023
NEWS EDITOR
NYSDA OFFICERS
Chester J. Gary, D.D.S., J.D.
Anthony M. Cuomo, President Prabha Krishnan, President-Elect Maurice Edwards, Vice President Paul Leary, Secretary-Treasurer William Karp, Speaker of the House Gregory D. Hill, Executive Director
MANAGING EDITOR Mary Grates Stoll
ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP MANAGER Jeanne DeGuire
ART DIRECTOR Ed Stevens
NEWS
Editorial and advertising offices are at Suite 602, 20 Corporate Woods Boulevard, Albany, NY 12211-2370. Telephone (518) 465-0044. Fax (518) 465-3219. Email info@nysdental.org. Website www.nysdental.org.
Volume 36 • Issue 4
The NYSDA News (ISSN 1531684X) is published quarterly, in February, May, October and December, by the New York State Dental Association, Suite 602, 20 Corporate Woods Boulevard, Albany, NY 12211-2370. It is available in digital form only and accessible online in the members-only section of the NYSDA website, www.nysdental.org, under publications.
2
