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Youngsters and Veterans Offered Free Care At Separate Events Hosted by Westchester Dental College
Youngsters and Veterans Offered Free Care At Separate Events Hosted by Westchester Dental College
From the very young to the considerably older, children and adults in need of dental care were treated at no cost to them by students from Touro College of Dental Medicine.
The first outing occurred in the fall, when 17 dental students traveled to the Lawrence School District on Long Island. There they screened, educated and entertained 150 4- and 5-yearolds during a three-hour Give Kids A Smile program. The event was organized by fourth-year dental student Dovi Grosser, who said he wanted to give the youngsters a positive dental experience, to get them started in life with the feeling that dentists are friendly and that maintaining oral health is a good thing.
This was the first time Touro brought a GKAS event to a local community school. All previous events were staged at the dental school. The college hopes to bring the program to other schools in different locations over the next year believing it is a first step in making sure more children have access to dental care.
Then, on Nov. 14, Touro College of Dental Medicine hosted its Sixth annual Smiles for Veterans at the college in Hawthorne. Third- and fourth-year dental students and TCDM faculty provided comprehensive dental screenings, X-rays, cleanings and fillings at no cost to some 20 veterans, military personnel and their spouses in honor of Veterans Day. Free and discounted dental services were made available throughout the month of November for any veteran who could not attend the event.
According to TCDM administrators, Smiles for Veterans serves two purposes: it provides care for veterans and their family members who put off routine dental visits and necessary treatment because of the financial burden, and it presents an opportunity for the college to instill the importance of community service in future dentists.
