Teaming up for oral health
What happens when you combine a live DJ, glitter tattoos, mascots, Detroit Lions football players and a whole team of volunteer oral health professionals?
Free dental care for more than 300 children.
On June 10, TeamSmile hosted a dental care event at the Brenda Scott Academy in Detroit thanks to a grant from the Delta Dental Foundation.
TeamSmile connects volunteer oral health professionals with pro sports teams to provide life-changing dental care to children in communities across the country. At each event, TeamSmile and community volunteers transform school gymnasiums and sports arenas into fun dental clinics, connecting children to free dental care and oral health education. Children received a dental “report card” to take home that detailed the dental work they received, as well as recommendations for future (or additional) care. They also received information on finding affordable dental care in the area.
Human Fliers, a grassroots community outreach company that is reducing barriers to dental care in the city, worked with the school in advance of the event to encourage students to return completed permission slips so that they may receive on-site oral health care.
Delta Dental care coordinators Dennise Hodge and Becky Domagalski were at the event to talk with kids about the importance of good oral health, and Becky – who spent 20 years as a clinical hygienist before joining Delta Dental – even had the opportunity to gear up and provide sealants for children.
“I was happy to jump back in the saddle again,” said Becky. “The kids we saw were so gracious and so thankful that we took the time out of our day to come to their school and help them out. They were so heartfelt that we were there to provide these services so their parents didn’t have to take time off to go to the dentist. They were going to school that day so why not have sealants, fillings or whatever procedure they need done.”