Fortis Institute in Scranton is helping local children put their best smiles forward.
The school hosted its second Give Kids A Smile event of the year, partnering with the American Dental Association Foundation to provide free dental care and oral health education. Students also gained hands-on experience by working one-on-one with patients.
More than half of children ages 6 to 8 have had at least one cavity in their baby teeth, while about 11% of children ages 2 to 5 have one or more untreated cavities, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At Fortis Institute, the Give Kids A Smile event provided children up to age 17 with free preventive care, including cleanings, screenings, X-rays, and more.
Dental Assistant Instructor Scott Wagner said the event benefits both local families and Fortis students by gaining hands-on experience.
“It’s really great for kids who don’t have insurance. They can come in and get a free cleaning. A very thorough cleaning by our hygiene students. Since they are students, it is going to be extremely, extremely thorough and worthy of a little bit of extra time that they’re putting into it,” said Wagner.
Dental Hygiene student Jaime Occulto said the event is rewarding, giving students a chance to give back while building connections and gaining valuable experience.
“It’s really good to give back to the community as well. What they do for us, we would love to give back. And it’s a learning process for all of us,” said Occulto.
“It’s sponsored by the American Dental Health Association. So, they sponsor us and let us give back to the community,” said Occulto.
Wagner said the event is another step towards preparing the next generation of dental hygienists.
“These are the future hygienists, the ones that will be cleaning our teeth tomorrow, next year, in the next ten years,” said Wagner.
Fortis Institute said 50 to 60 children were scheduled for the event, with more walk-ins expected throughout the day.