Public Health Issue - Harvard School of Dental Medicine

Oral Health in the Local CommunityIn 2012, HSDM students—led by founding presidentPeggy Chang (DMD 2013)—organized the HarvardAsian American Dental Association (HAADA), underthe faculty mentorship of Risha M. De Leon, a seniortutor and instructor in restorative dentistry and biomaterialssciences. One of the primary goals of HAADA is to provide oralhealth care awareness among different ethnic groups aroundthe Boston area. Below is a selection of the ongoing communityevents carried out by HAADA and other HSDM groups:• In April 2012, HSDM volunteers participated in a health fairat the Wang YMCA in Chinatown, which serves the lowincomeChinatown community. HAADA conducted oralscreenings for 18 children, ranging from infants to 10-yearolds,provided education on oral health and nutrition to theparents, and gave away toothbrushes and toothpastes.• In September 2012, HAADA provided free oral healthscreenings, education, and fluoride treatment at the Women,Infants, and Children (WIC) Program at Dorchester HouseMulti-Service Center. Dorchester has a large populationof Vietnamese immigrants who have concerns regardingtheir oral health and finding a dental home. This projectwas a collaboration with Harbor Health Services and theDorchester South WIC program. The oral health event waspromoted during WIC’s annual farmer’s market coupongiveaway program. The participants left with a toothbrush,toothpaste, floss, a referral list of possible oral health careproviders, and a follow-up recommendation from thescreener. DMD student volunteers Peggy Chang, TienHa-Ngoc, Derek Hou, Florence Kwo, Elyse Maiorini, JustinNguyen, Jane Shin, and Matthew Silver were joined by GeigerGibson Community Health Center staff and Wellesley Collegepredental students. The group screened 24 patients, some ofwhom requested the fluoride treatment, and provided oralhealth education. HAADA carried out a similar event later inSeptember at the Neponset Health Center.• In December 2012, HAADA provided oral health educationfor mothers at the ABCD Chinese Church Head Start. Thisbranch of Head Start has the highest rate of dental caries,and its administration requested that HAADA offer oralhealth education in Chinese Mandarin to the mothersregarding dental visits, diet, importance of baby teeth, andprevention of bottle caries. Mandarin-speaking HSDMstudents Peggy Chang, Florence Kwo, and Qian Yangshowed a PowerPoint presentation and provided freetoothbrushes. This event was a pilot project for apotential future collaboration between HAADA andABCD Chinese Church Head Start.• In January 2013, led by Lauren Feldman and ChelseaAldridge (both DMD 2014), HSDM volunteers providedoral health and career path information to teens atthe Boys and Girls Club of Boston Charlestown Club.The HSDM students discussed the importance of oralhealth, and Peggy Timothé, an HSDM senior tutor andinstructor in oral health policy and epidemiology, spokePeggy ChangJustin Nguyen (DMD 2013) helps a young girl learn to brushteeth at the WIC event, while her parents and Derek Hou(DMD 2014) look on.6 winter 2012–13 • harvard dental bulletin