Published: March 26, 2008 11:34 pm            

Students take trip to dentist

Zhane Bender started her day with a quick trip to see the dentist. And she didn’t even have to miss school to do it.

Zhane and her second-grade classmates from Kokomo-Center’s Columbian Elementary had their teeth checked and sealant placed on their molars as part of Project Happy Teeth, sponsored by First Christian Church and Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana.

Church member Dustin Lytle said about three years ago, the church’s pastor challenged their Bible class to do something to help the community. Class members bought a home in Indian Heights, renovated it and sold it, with plans to use the proceeds for a charitable project.

Lytle’s wife, Joyce, talked to Kokomo Assistant Superintendent Debbie Glass, who was principal of Elwood Haynes Elementary at that time, and “she suggested to Joyce that we look into dental health, because there was a real need.”

Church members contacted Darci Barr, chairwoman of the dental assisting program at Ivy Tech Community College, who agreed to host the clinic in her lab, with dental assisting students helping.

In 2007, Project Happy Teeth provided dental care and sealant for second-graders from Elwood Haynes Elementary. This year, second-graders from Columbian and Darrough Chapel elementaries will also be included, for a total of nearly 100 students.

Wednesday, about 20 Columbian students had their teeth examined, received sealant, played dental hygiene games and colored pictures about proper tooth care. Darrough Chapel students will visit Friday, and Elwood Haynes students will attend April 2 and 4.

Barr said her 19 students divided into two teams. One led the dental hygiene education program, while the others assisted the dentist and herself in checking the children’s teeth. The teams will switch roles next week.

She said in addition to assisting and leading the educational activities, her students were responsible for planning clinic flow and teaching the children proper sterilization techniques.

Barr added that Ivy Tech Community College provided a gift bag of toothbrushes, toothpaste and other oral hygiene items to send home with the second-graders.

First Christian Church paid for the sealant and some tools, she said.

Barr said the clinic gives her students valuable hands-on experience in dental assisting, and also teaches them about managing office flow and project management.

“This is a great exercise.”

Barr hopes students learn that going to the dentist is a positive experience.

“A lot of kids are afraid of the dentist.”

Zhane Bender said she was not afraid of the dentist, and she’s glad to have the sealant because “it’s going to protect my back teeth from getting cavities.”

She thought the dentist and student volunteers did a good job and said the process did not hurt. The sealant didn’t taste bad, either.

“It tastes like, I don’t know what it tastes like, but it tastes funny.”

Dental assisting student Tami Koon, who will graduate in May, said working with the kids was fun. She appreciates the opportunity for practice in addition to her clinicals in local dental offices.

Koon said working with children can be challenging, but in some ways they’re easier to work with that adults.

“You have to be creative and inventive. Kids are sometimes a little more compliant with what you tell them to do than adults.”

Another dental assisting student, Nicole Streza, said she hadn’t seen many scared children. She hopes the children learn the importance of taking care of their teeth.

Leanna Sharp, Kokomo-Center School Corp. lead nurse, said if the dentist identifies any problems with children’s teeth, the school nurse at the child’s school will talk to the parents. If the parents don’t have a family dentist, the nurse can refer them to a dentist, she said.

“The majority did follow through with dental treatment last year,” Sharp said. “It was a huge success last year.”

Danielle Rush may be reached at (765) 454-8585 or via e-mail at danielle.rush@kokomotribune.com

        

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