Oral Health Partnership between Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Middlesex Community College and Lowell Public Schools Provides Dental Services to Youth

LOWELL - Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, Middlesex Community College (MCC), and Lowell Public Schools yesterday hosted a dental hygiene clinic for 5^th and 6^th grade students attending Bartlett Community Partnership and Butler Middle School.  The clinic is part of a partnership to provide students with preventative oral hygiene care with the goal of improving the health and wellness of children. During the “Give Kids a Smile” event schoolchildren received free dental exams and sealants from Middlesex Community College dental hygiene students.

The Oral Health Initiative is inspired by research that shows that poor oral health due to lack of dental care adversely affects students’ performance in school. To address this issue, MCC dental students create lesson plans to integrate dental health into the school curriculum by teaching students to brush, floss, and eat healthy food. They also perform dental exams and cleanings for students. The goal is to keep students in school and focused on academics and to not have them distracted by pain, lack of eating or sleeping.

The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office Therapy Dog In-Training, Bear, also attending the event to visit with students while they awaited treatment.

So far, the Oral Health Initiative, which also includes Regis College, has provided classroom dental education for 790 2^nd and 5^th grade children, distributed 2,545 toothbrushes and oral health aids, conducted 500 oral screenings for 2^nd and 5^th grade children and provided other dental services, including fluoride varnishes, sealants and x-rays.