College of Dentistry Outreach Update |
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Meet the College of Dentistry Outreach Committee
This group oversees the college’s community outreach efforts and advances the college’s community outreach goals.
Included in this email:
- Celebrating our recent outreach achievements
- Upcoming events
- and more!
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Celebrating recent outreach achievements! |
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40 children receive much-needed care at Western Nebraska Dental Day on July 29-31
The College of Dentistry partnered with the Panhandle Public Health District and LifeSmiles of Sidney, Nebraska, to provide free dental care to 40 children in need in western Nebraska. The event was held at LifeSmiles of Sidney on July 29-31.
Janelle Visser, a health educator for the Panhandle Public Health District, said, “During these tumultuous times, the Panhandle Public Health District was grateful to be able to partner with UNMC College of Dentistry to provide oral health care to children. The dental and hygiene students were phenomenal and made a positive impact on the children’s lifelong oral health."
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The College of Dentistry volunteers were:
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Lincoln & Omaha Faculty: Drs. Bryan Skar, James Jenkins, Sarah Lowman, Jennifer Marshall, Claire Koukol
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West Division Faculty: Lisa Moravec, Nicole Baker
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Pediatric Dentistry Residents: Drs. Ryan Smith, Eric Wood, Adam Woroniecki
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D4 Students: Selam Carlson, Preston Dramse, Alexis Jessen, Bailey Peterson
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DH4 Students (Western Division): Jesi Adams, Gabrielle Rader, Shae Toof
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Hear from some of the volunteers: |
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"Western Dental Day was an excellent opportunity to not only provide free care to children in rural Nebraska, but also to teach them the importance of oral health. It was fun to see how excited some of the kids were to visit the dentist!"
Bailey Peterson, D4
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"It was a blessing to have the opportunity to help at Western Dental Day and be able to impact many families. It was special getting to spend time with the kids and an awesome experience to help educate them and treat their oral health needs."
Alexis Jessen, D4
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"Being able to help the community and the children was a great experience. We taught them on how to brush their teeth and provided them with things they may not be able to afford. There are so many more children and families out there that need assistance and education. Programs like this are a great opportunity to help."
Shae Toof, DH4
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"UNMC's commitment to extraordinary patient care extends beyond our campus and Western Dental Day was a great opportunity for us to gain experience while providing dental care to those in need. Working with these kids through outreach events is very rewarding and one of my favorite parts of dental school."
Preston Dramse, D4
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Thank You from Dean Guthmiller:
"I would like to thank everyone who participated in the Western Dental Day. I admire your passion for helping others and your dedication to our mission to improve the oral health of the people of Nebraska. Our college community is truly special as we share a passion for changing lives 'one smile at a time.' "
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Students make a big impact at Clinic with a Heart during 2020-2021 academic year
During the 2020-2021 academic year, our dental and dental hygiene students put in 1,215 volunteer hours at Clinic with a Heart.
About the people the students help serve - from Clinic with a Heart's 2020 Annual Report:
- The patients come to a free clinic because they have nowhere else to turn. They are balancing many stresses in their lives.
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46% of the patients would have gone to the emergency room if they would not have been able to come to Clinic with a Heart.
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88% of the patients are uninsured. Only 4% have private insurance, but can not afford copays and deductibles. For many patients, this means they do not have a regular source of care (no medical home).
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25% see or talk to people they are close to less than two times a week.
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28% of patients identify that they are stressed.
By providing compassionate patient care, our students have a great impact on these patients' lives.
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Hear from some of the volunteers: |
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"I enjoy my experiences at Clinic with a Heart. Patients are appreciative of what we are doing for them and the staff there is always so helpful so I can just focus on the treatment. The best thing is that we can learn a lot of tricks from the supervising faculty."
Bo Chao, D4
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"Clinic with a Heart is a fantastic opportunity for dental students to gain extraction and surgical experience. The cases are frequently challenging and have helped me gain more confidence in myself. Volunteering at Clinic with a Heart has been a great opportunity to give back to members of the community that wouldn't otherwise be able to afford care."
Andrew Egger, D4
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Kateralnada Mahdi, DH4, Sana Daraei Ahwaz, DH4, and Mahnaz Khafaji Zad, DH4, taught children how to correctly brush their teeth and answered community members' oral health questions at the Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln's Streets Alive Festival held on Sept. 26.
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The AEGD and GPR residents made oral health goodie bags for the Open Door Mission and Stephens Center in Omaha. |
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Early dental health starter kits featured on "Pure Nebraska"
The early dental health starter kits project - a partnership between the College of Dentistry, the Nebraska Community Foundation and the DHHS Office of Oral Health - was recently featured on 1011's "Pure Nebraska."
Since February 2020, 25,000 early dental health starter kits have been given at no cost to new parents and caregivers across Nebraska with the goal of reducing dental disease. The kits are packed with unique oral hygiene items and education for children from birth to 6 years old.
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Upcoming Events
UNMC Students for People of All
Abilities (SAPA) Trunk or Treat
Friday, Oct. 22
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
College of Dentistry
East Parking Lot
Munroe-Meyer Institute (MMI)
Trunk or Treat
Sunday, Oct. 24
2 - 4 p.m.
MMI Parking Lot, Omaha
UNO Health and Wellness Fair
Nov. 24
Children's Dental Day
March 11, 2022
Western Dental Day
June 10-11, 2022
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Have an idea for an outreach event?
Students, faculty and staff - if you have an idea for an outreach event, let the Outreach Committee know and we can help you turn your idea into a successful event!
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