College of Dentistry provides free sealants to children

Dental hygienists Jennifer Durbin and Jennifer Germer with Marrs student Brandon Zyla.

In an effort to prevent cavities, dental hygienists from the UNMC College of Dentistry, along with the Indian Chicano Health Center and Douglas County Health Department, last week placed free sealants on the teeth of 160 second- and third-graders at Marrs Academy School in south Omaha.

“The sealants will help the molars which are the back teeth from erupting or getting cavities,” said Gwen Hlava, chairman, UNMC’s department of dental hygiene.

The dental sealants act as a barrier, protecting teeth against decay-causing bacteria. Sealants are applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth where decay occurs most often.

Dental hygienists Shelley Joseph and Amy Dayhoff with Marrs student Edgar Olvera.

The effort is funded by a grant through the Hope Medical Outreach Coalition of Omaha, which is a non-profit organization that relies on area health providers to donate their time to provide free care to low-income, uninsured adults and children in the Omaha community. The final event, which takes place next month, will culminate with about 600 underserved children in the Omaha area receiving sealants.

Although the young students may not like the procedure being done to them at the time, they do have an incentive.

“Out of 190 second- and third-graders, 160 permission slips were brought back signed when students found out they got a spinning toothbrush in the shape of a cell phone when they were done,” Hlava said.

College of Dentistry clinical faulty member Todd Yunge expressed the importance of the dental hygienist getting hands-on experience in the field.

“This gives them a chance to work with children in a community setting,” Yunge said. “The biggest thing is working with the kids.”