Public Health Issue - Harvard School of Dental Medicine

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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
public health focusInspiring Future Health ProfessionalsPeggy ChangJane Shin (DMD 2013) performs a screening on a young patient atthe WIC event.about the various career paths in oral health. The youth thenparticipated in an exercise with dental composite material.• In early February 2013, an HSDM group participated in ahealth care event geared for teens ages 15 and older at theBoys and Girls Club of Boston Yawkey Club of Roxbury.HSDM assisted in the session on oral health, focusing onthe importance of oral health care,proper brushing techniques, andhow to access dental care.Members of the HSDM community participated inthe Harvard Medical School MEDscience program inOctober 2012, in a session organized by Risha M.De Leon, an HSDM instructor in restorative dentistryand biomaterials sciences. The mission of MEDscienceis “to inspire critical thinking, scientific reasoning, andessential health literacy in high-school students throughhigh-impact learning in the dynamic world of medicine.”Several high-school students spent time at HSDMlearning about various aspects of oral health. Followingan introduction by Dean Bruce Donoff, Colleen Greene(DMD/MPH 2013) and Kathleen McCafferty (DMD2013) spoke to the students about the importance of oralhealth. Next, Peggy Timothé, a senior tutor and instructorin oral health policy and epidemiology, presentedinformation on paths to becoming a dental professional,and the students engaged in an exercise on compositerestorations. The session ended with a tour of HSDM.HSDM students and faculty aredeeply committed to providingfree oral health care in underservedcommunities across the Boston area.The School provides a variety of waysfor different groups to participate inimproving the health of hundreds ofindividuals. •HSDM student volunteers posed at theregistration table at the WIC office inDorchester following a successful oralhealth screening and education event.Back row, from left: Matthew Silver (DMD2014), Elyse Maiorini (DMD 2013), JaneShin (DMD 2013), Derek Hou (DMD 2014),Florence Kwo (DMD 2013), and WellesleyCollege predental students StephanieKim and Sunny Paik. Front row: TienHa-Ngoc (DMD 2014), Peggy Chang (DMD2013), and Justin Nguyen (DMD 2013).Risha M. De Leonharvard dental bulletin • winter 2012–137
Page 1 and 2: harvarddentalbulletinPublic Health
Page 3 and 4: From the DeanAs we reflect on the a
Page 5 and 6: alumni focusof Dental Medicine, dur
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Page 13 and 14: public health focusRishi Popat (DMS
Page 15 and 16: public health focusJan ReissElsbeth
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Page 23 and 24: esearch focusNew Hope for Treating
Page 25 and 26: dental school newsCurrent State and
Page 27 and 28: dental school newsSurface Treatment
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Page 31 and 32: Back cover: Risha M. De Leon, senio

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