Students from Dental School Take to the Streets in Oral Health Care Program

While most students were enjoying the Columbus Day Holiday on Oct. 12, a number of dentists-in-training at the School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) took to the streets of downtown Boston to volunteer for the Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Oral Healthcare Outreach Program and to educate the public on the essentials of oral health.

The students worked out of the Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Dental Van, which was stationed at Downtown Crossing at the intersection of Chauncy and Summer streets. They gave free dental screenings, provided oral health education, and demonstrated proper flossing and brushing techniques. The area was buzzing as hundreds of children and adults waited to get a chance to be seen by one of the students. Peter A. Costalos, the student organizer and a member of the Peabody Society Class of 2001, said, "As future health care providers, this is a great way of reaching out to our local community and offering our time and attention."

Bright Smiles, Bright Futures is an outreach program of the Colgate Palmolive Company presented in partnership with Harvard University. Christopher Fox, an HSDM alumnus and the director of Global Professional Relations at Colgate Palmolive, Gregory Stoute, the chief of dental services at University Health Services, and Costalos were the organizers of the event. The student participants included Jackie Wong, Nancy Medina Martinez, Carlene Tsai, Ayesha Nawab, Tina Chang, and Steve Charcut, all in the School of Dental Medicine.

The Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Dental Van travels to different cities in the United States to provide free dental screenings and education to local communities. Since 1991, Colgate Palmolive has reached more than 4 million children with important oral health information through its in-school curriculum (in which the School of Dental Medicine also participates), community outreach programs, and the mobile dental van. The program is offered in 20 U.S. cities and many countries around the world.