Quinson elementary students all smiles at CNC dental hygiene clinics

NEWS RELEASE
For release on May 5, 2009

The College of New Caledonia’s third-year dental hygiene students are giving back to the community by putting brighter smiles on children’s faces.

Through the ninth annual Seal with a Smile program, CNC’s Dental Hygiene Clinic is offering five weeks of free clinics (May 5 – June 2) for 200 Quinson elementary students, providing prophys, fluorides and sealants.Tuesdays and Thursdays, kindergarten to Grade 7 students (16 to 17 per class) are bused to the Prince George college campus where they have their teeth cleaned and some may need to return if they need sealants.

“It’s a chance for our dental hygiene students to work with children within those age groups and to place sealants,” said CNC dental assistant instructor Kathy Rodall.

“We do it through donations of dental supplies.”

Northern Health chooses a different school each year based on need and proximity to the college.

Once selected, the dental hygiene students visit the school in March and April, offering dental health workshops and preparing the elementary students what will happen when they visit the CNC clinic.

“For us, it’s an opportunity to provide a prevention program,” said dental hygienist Brenda Matsen, Northern Health’s northern interior dental health program manager.

“We don’t have the manpower or the clinical space. It’s a great partnership and there’s nothing like it in B.C.”

“We still want them to see their regular dentist and some do go and some don’t.”

The media are invited to attend one of two clinics every Tuesday between 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. or 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. On Thursdays, it runs only for the next two weeks between 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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For more information:
Kathy Rodall
Dental Clinic instructor
College of New Caledonia
250-562-2131 ext. 5617

Andrea Johnson
Writer/Editor, Communication Services
College of New Caledonia
250-562-2131 ext. 5643
Cell: 250-961-0067