{"id":131285,"date":"2026-04-13T10:30:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T15:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=131285"},"modified":"2026-04-13T10:30:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T15:30:09","slug":"college-volunteers-make-latest-childrens-dental-day-event-shine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2026\/04\/13\/college-volunteers-make-latest-childrens-dental-day-event-shine\/","title":{"rendered":"College volunteers make latest Children’s Dental Day event shine"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

On April 8, the UNMC College of Dentistry hosted 40 children from Crete, Nebraska, for the final Children\u2019s Dental Day event of the academic year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event was the culmination of a new concept for Children\u2019s Dental Day. Under the direction of Gail Rohlfing, DDS, interim chair and assistant professor for the UNMC Department of Growth and Development, the formerly annual Children\u2019s Dental Day, held at the college\u2019s Lincoln home, was reimagined, with three events \u2013 one in York, one in Hasting, and the final event of the 2025-26 school year in Lincoln.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the number of children at each event was smaller \u2013 25 in York, and about 40 at both Hastings and Lincoln \u2013 the events, in partnership with local dental clinics, allowed for more extensive dental care for each child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the April 8 event, seven residents, three attending faculty members and seven dental assistants were available to support 45 dental and dental hygiene students. Children arrived by bus in two groups of 20, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were able to provide really good care to these kids in a safe and controlled environment,\u201d Dr. Rohlfing said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Rohlfing is still considering ways to improve the event, but said the new system kept children\u2019s wait times to a minimum and allowed for more intensive work to be done with less intrusion into the day-to-day life of the college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had some big wins,\u201d she said, pointing to several children who\u2019d received a great deal of necessary dental intervention during the day \u2013 a win not only for the children, but for the students delivering the care and, in some cases, developing real rapport with their patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere were some positive stories,\u201d Dr. Rohlfing said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also credited the faculty and assistant volunteers, and especially the dental residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey were amazing,\u201d she said. \u201cThey really helped us push through getting more dentistry done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dean Gerard Kugel, DMD, PhD, is excited by Dr. Rohlfing\u2019s new strategy for the beloved event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a treasured event for the college and the communities we serve,\u201d Dr. Kugel said. \u201cIt\u2019s been inspiring to see how the Children\u2019s Dental Day concept is evolving under Dr. Rohlfing\u2019s leadership. This is one of the college\u2019s most important outreach initiatives, and to see it move into communities across Nebraska has been a wonderful experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And although the academic year is ending, April\u2019s event might not be the last Children\u2019s Dental Day in 2026, Dr. Rohlfing said. The York and Hastings events have drawn interest from other rural areas, and she\u2019s considering the possibility of holding a fall event on the western side of the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe idea here is to take the dentistry to the communities, so that after we leave, families still have a place they can have their children’s dental needs cared for,\u201d she said. \u201cCreating a dental home for these families is part of the goal.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Forty children received services at April 8 event in Lincoln. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":131286,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"34099,131008,34973,50351,37348,52777","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-131285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","topic-patient-care","department-college-of-dentistry","author_override-john-keenan-unmc-strategic-communications"],"yoast_head":"\nCollege volunteers make 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