On February 2nd, 2013 our school Carrington College Sacramento hosted Smiles for Kids day. Since 1991 the event called Smiles for Kids occurs every February and services Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Yolo, and Sacramento counties. I was lucky enough to experience this at our school earlier this year. Since they started they have screened over 300,000 children and over $10 million dollars has been donated in dental treatment. In 2011 there were 102 dentists that worked on Smiles for Kids day. This event is sponsored by the Sacramento District Dental Society and services those without dental insurance (Acala, 2012).
That day was definitely an experience worth no amount of money that can be bought. We started at 7:30 am and right away began setting up operatories and preparing ourselves to see as many as 5 kids each for prophy (cleaning). It was what some would call "organized chaos." There was the hurry up and wait feel to the morning because we didn't know exactly how many kids arrived or were ready to be screened. Once the first child came the flow was steady.
A lot of these children ranged from ages 3 to 15 years old. Some of which were their first time seeing a dentist/hygienist. It was an amazing and beyond rewarding experience to assist my instructors in cleaning and making the kids comfortable. Along with cleaning the kids received radiographs and homecare instructions. Once completed with hygiene services they moved on to see the dentists we had for treatment. Some even got to have sealants done. I will never forget the trooper patient we had that needed over 10 sealants and she was able to have them all done that day. This event was a great success and I am grateful to have been a part of it.
Reflection
Being able to participate in this event was a wonderful experience for me while in school. I always wondered how I can become more efficient as a clinician and this day exposed me to those possibilities. I observed my instructor do a full prophy with universal instruments all while keeping the child engaged. And that can be a tough feat. Along with that I learned speed without cutting corners. It is all too common while in school to feel discouraged and bogged down with all the paper work, but I know there is a purpose. It was good to witness a more "realistic" appointment sequence. I believe this event can help boost my career as a dental hygienist because not only did I experience an amazing event, but being able to say I've done volunteer work is commendable. I thank Carrington College and my instructors for giving me this wonderful opportunity.
Resources
Acala, C. (2012). Dentists Provide Free Care to Kids Lacking Insurance in Sacramento Area. The Sacramento Bee.
Additional Resources
- http://www.sdds.org/SmilesforKids.htm
- http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/05/4240405/dentists-provide-free-care-to.html
- http://www.sdds.org/SmilesforKids_stats-past.htm
That day was definitely an experience worth no amount of money that can be bought. We started at 7:30 am and right away began setting up operatories and preparing ourselves to see as many as 5 kids each for prophy (cleaning). It was what some would call "organized chaos." There was the hurry up and wait feel to the morning because we didn't know exactly how many kids arrived or were ready to be screened. Once the first child came the flow was steady.
A lot of these children ranged from ages 3 to 15 years old. Some of which were their first time seeing a dentist/hygienist. It was an amazing and beyond rewarding experience to assist my instructors in cleaning and making the kids comfortable. Along with cleaning the kids received radiographs and homecare instructions. Once completed with hygiene services they moved on to see the dentists we had for treatment. Some even got to have sealants done. I will never forget the trooper patient we had that needed over 10 sealants and she was able to have them all done that day. This event was a great success and I am grateful to have been a part of it.
Reflection
Being able to participate in this event was a wonderful experience for me while in school. I always wondered how I can become more efficient as a clinician and this day exposed me to those possibilities. I observed my instructor do a full prophy with universal instruments all while keeping the child engaged. And that can be a tough feat. Along with that I learned speed without cutting corners. It is all too common while in school to feel discouraged and bogged down with all the paper work, but I know there is a purpose. It was good to witness a more "realistic" appointment sequence. I believe this event can help boost my career as a dental hygienist because not only did I experience an amazing event, but being able to say I've done volunteer work is commendable. I thank Carrington College and my instructors for giving me this wonderful opportunity.
Resources
Acala, C. (2012). Dentists Provide Free Care to Kids Lacking Insurance in Sacramento Area. The Sacramento Bee.
Additional Resources
- http://www.sdds.org/SmilesforKids.htm
- http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/05/4240405/dentists-provide-free-care-to.html
- http://www.sdds.org/SmilesforKids_stats-past.htm