Note: This item is being made available for all to enjoy on behalf of the Dental Studies program at the College and Career Academy. – KtE
What more could we cram into the shortest month of the year, February? It’s Black History Month, Heart Health Month, Mardi Gras, Super Bowl, Valentines Day, and Dental Health Month.
This year, Polk County College and Career Academy, Dental Science students have made it a mission to visit every elementary school in the district to share the importance of good oral hygiene.
By the end of the month, around 35 High School students will have shared healthy versus unhealthy food and drink choices, directions on how to brush and floss teeth in addition to learning why ones teeth are so valuable to elementary students across Polk School District.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some 52% of children 6-8 years of age have had a cavity in their primary (baby) teeth. Dental cavities are the leading preventable most chronic disease worldwide. Anyone who has ever had a toothache knows it is difficult to sleep, eat, or even concentrate.
PCCCA Dental Science teacher, Shannon Cofield has seen firsthand, the affect cavities can have on our youth. As a Registered Dental Hygienist with nearly ten years of pediatric experience prior to pursuing a career in PSD as a Healthcare Science teacher, Cofield felt compelled to share her professional knowledge outside of her classroom.
Dental Science students were assigned a project in mid-January to create a presentable lesson on “Oral Health” for a specific age group, primarily first grade.
While students were busy preparing their presentations, Cofield was emailing every first grade teacher in PSD offering them an opportunity to collaborate with one another. It was mere hours before the first school responded and the project took off. PCCCA Dental Science students created some amazing projects.
Part of their requirements were to have tangible props, leave an activity for their audience, have first grade teachers grade them based on a rubric, and it was suggested they look the part by wearing scrubs.
According to Cofield, PCCCA Community Partner and Advisory Board Member, Tracie Wright with Coosa Dental Associates ordered hundreds of toothbrushes within minutes of hearing about this collaborative effort.
Cofield stated, “It takes a village to raise a child and I am grateful to have Coosa Dental Associates support.”
Tracie and Coosa Dental Associates provided each child with a toothbrush and toothpaste of their own. When supplies were getting low and shipments had not come in, Mrs. Cofield reached out to her friends at Children’s Dental Center (Rome, Cartersville, and Acworth) looking for additional donations.
Children’s Dental Center provided 160 of the 680 bags with toothbrushes and toothpaste which will be handed out across PSD by the end of the month. Coosa Dental Associates donated over 400 toothbrushes and 300 tubes of toothpaste.
The rest were donations the Dental Science program had received prior to this school year. The Polk Communities enthusiasm made this years February Dental Health Month a memorable one for so many.
This experience has given our high school students an opportunity to give back to their community while learning themselves and educating future generations. Cofield along with others are hopeful this is simply the inauguration of Februarys/Dental Health Months to follow.
Students from the class added the following message as well: “The Dental Science program of Cedartown High School taught by Mrs. Cofield adventured to various elementary schools to share their knowledge with the children about dental hygiene. The high school students worked hard and gave maximum effort in order to make this project memorable. We are grateful for our high school teachers and student’s dedication and are PSD proud!”
