Dental students bring 'Husky Smiles' to low-income kids

UW dental students are providing preventive oral care and education to children and parents in King County through a program conceived and operated by students themselves.

The Husky Smiles program currently sends students to eight Women, Infant and Children (WIC) sites in King County, and two sites in Eastern Washington. In the future, students hope to add many of the 40 other WIC sites..

"The students are really excited. They are making a difference in the lives of these children. And they are the first 'dentist' that most of these children will ever have seen," says Jane Prebilsky, a second-year student in the UW School of Dentistry and co-chair of the program.

Third-year student Nicole Serra applies a flouride coating to the teeth of a child at the Northshore Public Health Center. Jason Bourne, another third-year student, is shining the light.

Students say they conceived of the program during their first year of school last winter in response to challenges from Dr. Peter Milgrom, a professor in the School of Dentistry. He continuously brought the problem of dental access to their attention, Prebilsky said.

It's a big problem. Nearly one in three toddlers living in a families below the federal poverty level suffers from decay. That's also true for two out of five children ages 6 to 12.

Seattle-King County Public Health welcomed the volunteers, and not just for the extra help.

"This is an opportunity to introduce students at the U into the community, and give them a look at children that they might not otherwise get to see in a private practice," says Dr. John Caron, chief of dental services for the public health department. "Our hope is that in the future, as dentists, they will see more children from low-income families."

Students get no academic credit and no time off for their time at WIC offices, but 46 of the 50 in the class have trained for Husky Smiles.

Under the dental school schedule, they don't have much free time to begin with. "They're really sacrificing. It was awesome to see so much support," Prebilsky says.

The students, now in their second year, plan to involve the entering first-year class in running the program, and turn that into a tradition. They are also welcoming students from other classes, who have shown an interest as well.

The students work with parents and their infants or toddlers. They talk to parents about proper dental care, and then examine the children's teeth. Since this is the first time many of the children have received dental care, that means taking time to win the confidence of both parent and child, Prebilsky says.

The students can apply a preventive fluoride treatment under the supervision of a dentist, and are trained to refer children with decay to public health services and community clinics. The students can also teach parents how to brush their child's teeth, and explain the importance of keeping the child's primary teeth healthy until the permanent teeth arrive.

Milgrom says a first positive experience with a dentist is crucial: "Too often what happens is that children develop dental problems before they see a dentist. So their first visit is for an emergency."

Husky Smiles has received grant funding from the Washington Dental Service Foundation, the Seattle/King County Dental Society and matching funds from the state Department of Social and Health Services. Seattle King County Public Health and Regence BlueShield have each pledged to fund one full-time student position next summer.

The students welcome donations for the program. They need supplies, such as examination gloves and clinical robes. They also need dentists to volunteer to supervise their work, as the students can only work in the clinic if there is a dentist present. To volunteer equipment or time, call (206) 221-2587. ¶

Walter Neary