WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Dental hygienist students at the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport are hard at work preparing for what they call "Sealant Saturday." On November 5, the school will provide free dental care to kids in the area.
"Children 7 to 15, we are going to do free sealants, and we will provide education to the community and oral screenings," explained Ninoshka Rivera, a second-year student.
"Free oral care initiative that we started at the college back in 2003. Since that time, we have treated over 1,000 kids, and it has brought in a lot of community outreach for our clinic and a lot of patients for our students," said Jill Hicks, a dental hygiene instructor.
There are just over 30 second-year dental hygienist students at the college. Participating in Sealant Saturday is a graduation requirement and a great way to get hands-on experience.
"It is good to have us providing the care hands-on and our instructors verifying us and pointing us in the right direction," said second-year student Erica Wenrich.
"We have a clinic on campus, so our community members can come in, and we practice on them so we can be ready for the real world," Rivera said.
This is the first time the school has held the event since the beginning of the pandemic. The program hopes families will schedule a free appointment for their kids on November 5.
"Our hope is to have about 60 patients that we can see for the day, and the time runs from 9 a.m. to noon," Hicks said.
The dental hygiene program is still looking for more patients for Sealant Saturday. Appointments are required. They can be made by calling 570-320-8007 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday.
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