NEWS
OKLAHOMA CITY – On Saturday, the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry provided free cleanings, fillings and crowns to 109 children during the college’s annual Kids’ Day. The event was sponsored in part by the Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation and was held at the college in Oklahoma City. February is Children’s Oral Health Month.
OU College of Dentistry students provided the care under the supervision of faculty members and trained dentists. They performed 604 procedures, which would equate to an estimated $57,000 in treatment costs. Since Kids’ Day began 27 years ago, the college has provided over $1 million in free treatments to Oklahoma children ages 4 to 12 who otherwise may not have access to care.
“Building strong oral health habits at a young age lays the foundation for a lifetime of overall health and wellness,” said OU College of Dentistry Dean Paul Mullasseril, D.D.S., M.S. “We are proud to offer this free program, which meets critical dental needs for children while also giving our dental and dental hygiene students meaningful opportunities to serve. Events like Kids’ Day allow our students to develop their clinical skills and, just as importantly, to understand the profound difference they can make in the lives of their future patients.”
Kids’ Day initially targeted the Oklahoma City metro area and now has a statewide reach. Students have planned and executed the event from the beginning. Peyton Earle, a member of the Class of 2026, said students are passionate about welcoming families and providing care.
“Through this event, I have seen kids’ oral health positively change, their parents become aware of healthy habits, and smiles become bigger and brighter,” said Earle, who plans to become a pediatric dentist. “Playing a small role in offering this gift is such a joy and something we are all so grateful to be a part of.”
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university with campuses in Norman, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. In Oklahoma City, the OU Health Campus is one of the nation’s few academic health centers with seven health profession colleges located on the same campus. The OU Health Campus serves approximately 4,000 students in more than 70 undergraduate and graduate degree programs spanning Oklahoma City and Tulsa and is the leading research institution in Oklahoma. For more information about the OU Health Campus, visit www.ouhsc.edu.
A decade-long partnership between the University of Oklahoma and Southcentral Foundation, an Alaska Native-owned, nonprofit health care organization based in Anchorage, Alaska, has been awarded a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to grow and strengthen a research workforce serving American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities.
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