Dental program gets kids smiling

More than 50 students from the Aiken County School District got their teeth cleaned at the annual "Give Kids a Smile" program at Aiken Technical College Friday.

But the children, selected through the school district by referral from nurses, will get additional treatment, said Aiken dentist Dr. Charlie Wyont, who has coordinated the Aiken County effort in the national program that provides the pro bono services.

Originally, dentists volunteering with the program went ahead and treated kids with cavities and other needs on the "Give Kids a Smile" day. But that time frame allowed only partial treatment, Wyont said. Last year, dental hygienists began a procedure of providing the children with a thorough cleaning, followed by screening from the dentists.

"Now the child gets a complete treatment in our offices," said Wyont. "We aren't seeing the same number of kids now. The first year, we had over 100 children, and it's gone down each year. As this program has gone on, the dentists have visited schools for screenings, and nurses can also refer for abscesses or tooth decay. We're getting feedback from the dentists that we're seeing less problems in the schools. The system is working."

ATC's dental assisting program has hosted Give Kids a Smile since its start in Aiken County.

"I love having them here," said the program director, Amy Johnson. "It's a great learning experience for our kids and a good networking experience, too. It meets the needs of an underserved group of kids in the community. I wish we had the ability to do this more than once a year."

Johnson's students provided assistance as needed and observed the hygienists and dentists. A group of health science students from the Aiken County Career and Technology Center also coordinated games and other activities for children while they waited to see a hygienist and a dentist. One health science student, Elizabeth Hernandez, had a different assignment, serving as a translator for some of the kids. A native of California, Hernandez's parents are from El Salvador.

"This has been great," she said. "I look forward to doing it again. My hope of wanting to be a nurse has grown. So far the kids have been really excited. I think they felt more comfortable knowing I was there."

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.