Dental students volunteer in underserved area of Kentucky
July 3rd, 2008
Dental hygiene students clean a patient’s teeth.
Poor dental health is a frequent problem in rural Kentucky. Lack of dental insurance, a shortage of dentists, nonfluoridated water supplies,tobacco use and smoking are among the contributing factors.
About 60 dental and dental hygiene students, more than a dozen faculty and some alumni from the University of Louisville School of Dentistry spent June 28-29 in Pikeville, Ky., an underserved area. They provided free dental care to people who otherwise could not afford dental treatment.
“We had folks with bad abscesses and advanced dental disease due to decay and gum disease,” said Lee Mayer, director of community dental health for the School of Dentistry. “The spread of infection was horrible. Many were in general poor health. At least one person had to be sent to the hospital.”
The group worked as volunteers with the Remote Area Medical mission, a nonprofit organization that serves people in isolated areas of the United States and around the world.
Hundreds of patients waited hours to be seen. Several people arrived Friday evening for the opportunity to receive dental care Saturday. For some, it meant pain relief and being saved from a potential life-threatening infection.
“If dental infections go untreated, the infection can spread to the facial planes and bloodstream, then the patient can become septic,” said Melanie Peterson, associate dean for clinics and postdoctoral education.
During the two days, the group helped treat more than 440 people. In total, the dental team made 520 extractions, filled 249 cavities, made 20 sets of full dentures and gave 122 cleanings.
“It’s a great experience for the students,” said Dean John Sauk, who participated in the mission.
“Our educational program emphasizes community service. It was not only an opportunity for students to work with patients who might not otherwise have access to quality dental care but also a chance to see many of our faculty modeling what it means to give back,” he said.
The experience, said dental hygiene student Jennifer Kelty, was “exhausting but rewarding.”
Patients were grateful, said dental student Jeremy Troxler, noting that some who received treatment Saturday returned Sunday just to thank the dental volunteers.
There were a lot of hugs and much appreciation, he said.
