UK College of Dentistry Students Continue Seal Kentucky Tradition

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 3, 2015) — In support of the Seal Kentucky program, University of Kentucky College of Dentistry first-year dental students visited four elementary schools in the state this fall. The Seal Kentucky program is a community-based dental sealant program for elementary-aged school children at select schools in rural Kentucky.

Schools with high free- or reduced-lunch fee program participation, and few or no local dentists, are generally targeted when selecting treatment locations; as these children may experience higher barriers to receiving oral health care. This year, UK dental students and faculty visited Clay City, Sandy Hook, Ashland and Butler to provide a dental examination, cleaning, fluoride treatment, sealants, and a brushing and flossing demonstration to 388 participating elementary students in Kindergarten through fifth grade.

For UK’s dental students, the program provides their first exposure with providing treatment to a patient. For local communities, the program helps to reduce tooth decay, underscore the steps needed to maintain good oral health, and promote a positive dentistry experience with the community’s youth population.

“I would go on a sealant trip every semester if I could,” said UK dental student Marc Lester. “I’ll never forget the moment when that first kid walked up to my dental chair.”

Dental sealants, typically applied to the back teeth responsible for chewing food, help seal out plaque and food to reduce the risk of tooth decay in harder to clean areas of the mouth. The sealants will generally last for three to five years.

“Taking part in the seal trip was an awesome experience that I will always remember because those were my first real patients," said dental student Paige Higdon. "I learned that with enough effort you can encourage any kid to like dentistry and they leave with a smile on their face.” 

UK dental students set up the mobile clinic on a Sunday and provide treatment during local school hours the following Monday and Tuesday. Dental students work in teams of two to provide care, taking turns serving in the role of clinician and assistant. In addition to gaining experience with working with children and applying dental sealants, they also gain experience in setting up a portable community dental clinic, completing a community assessment and gain a better understanding of various patient populations and public health.  

The College's overall mobile outreach program celebrates 25 years of service to the Commonwealth in 2015. The UK Division of Public Heath Dentistry began the Seal Kentucky program, one component of the overall mobile outreach program, in 1996.

“My first experience with these trips was also as a first-year UK College of Dentistry student and now I’ve been involved as a professor for eight years,” said Associate Professor Kelly Dingrando. “It’s wonderful to see dental students grow into being comfortable working with children and even consider pediatric dentistry when they graduate. They’re also learning one way to give back to communities. At the same time, young Kentuckians are receiving care and learning more about oral health. We’re hoping with each new generation, we’ll see greater oral health literacy.”

Media Contact: Ann Blackford at 859-323-6442 or ann.blackford@uky.edu