Nora Nakshabendi DMD 16 and Nicolas Branshaw DMD 16
On December 9–11, 2014, Oral Health Promotion Director Kathy Lituri and 12 Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) students visited the Crispus Attucks Children’s Center in Dorchester, as part of the school-based dental outreach program. Throughout the three days, the team of volunteers went into six classrooms of children ages three to six years old.
During the visits, all of the children participated in circle time where the GSDM students engaged them in age-appropriate, hands-on dental health lessons. Every child (and the teacher) received a toothbrush. In total, about 110 children also received a dental screening and fluoride varnish.
“Visiting a child care center such as Crispus Attucks provides the students a chance to see young children in their own element—one that is warm, fun, and nurturing,” said Lituri. “Most of the children received a dental screening, which gave the students an opportunity to work closely with pre-school children and allowed them the chance to assess a pediatric dentition, something they do not regularly encounter in the Patient Treatment Centers.”
The student volunteers were: Charlotte Bigg DMD 16, Nicolas Branshaw DMD 16, Anna Komnatnaya DMD 16, Israel Korobkin DMD 16, Michelle Prieto DMD 16, David Tran DMD 16, Luri Lee DMD 16, Mike Mayr DMD 16, Nora Nakshabendi DMD 16, Shivani Patel DMD 16, Faraz Tartibi DMD 16, and Vanessa Thai DMD 16.