ASDOH reaches out
Posted: April 3, 2009ASDOH students kicked off the new year with several community dental outreach programs, providing dental screenings, oral health education, and dental referrals to program participants.
So far, ASDOH has participated in the Maricopa County HeadStart Zero-Five Program in Mesa and the Asian Pacific Community in Action’s Fenghuang Project in Mesa in January, and the 2009 Sun Life Give Kids a Smile in Casa Grande in February.
Rena Christman, D1, who worked with fellow students on the Fenghuang Project, is passionate about caring for those who might otherwise not receive dental treatment. “Sometimes, it is so easy to get caught up in the things here at school, and our academics are so important,” she said. “This day really gave me an opportunity to feel closer to the patient community, as well as getting to know my fellow students better.
“It’s not a duty, but a privilege, to be a dentist, and as future dentists we can only hope to make a few people’s lives a little better, a little less painful; and, to put a smile on some faces in the process.”