BCD students sponsor Children’s Sealant Day Nov. 15

DALLAS — Nov. 4, 2003 — The Asian-American Dental Society at Baylor College of Dentistry is sponsoring a Children’s Sealant Day at the college Nov. 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The program is supported by the college’s pediatric dentistry and public health sciences departments.
Open to children ages 6-14, the program is free. However, children must have appointments to be treated, and a parent or legal guardian must accompany them.
Dental sealants are thin, plastic coatings painted on the chewing surfaces of the premolars and molars (back teeth). Sealant color is either clear or tinted, and application is a simple and painless procedure.
“Children should get sealants on their permanent premolars and molars as soon as the teeth come in — before decay attacks the teeth,” said Dr. Loulou M.T. Moore, assistant professor of restorative sciences at BCD and faculty adviser to the group. “With regular check-ups, dental sealants can last 10 years, which protects the children while they’re developing good oral hygiene habits. However, if sealants are chipped and worn out, they must be replaced for better protection.”

Sealants will be applied by BCD dental students who are ADS members as well as other BCD dental-student volunteers. BCD faculty members will supervise them.
In addition to free dental sealants, BCD students will provide free prophylaxis (dental cleaning) and oral hygiene procedures for children who do not qualify for sealants due to caries (cavities). “We also offer a free follow-up for children who received sealants during the previous programs,” Moore said. “Free reapplication of the sealant will be provided if needed.”
To make an appointment for the free dental sealants treatment or the free follow-up, you may leave a voice message by contacting Ruchi Khara, third-year dental student and ADS parliamentary chair. Call her at 214-828-8400, extension 4736. Leave your name and phone number after the prompt. A BCD dental student will return your call to set up the appointment.
Baylor College of Dentistry is located at 3302 Gaston Ave. on the corner of Gaston and Hall streets. The pediatric dentistry clinic is located on the second floor. For additional assistance or directions, call Leeanna Bartlett, director of social services, at 214-828-8353.
Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, a component of The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, is a nationally recognized center for oral health sciences education, research, specialized patient care and continuing dental education. The A&M System HSC serves the state as a distributed, statewide health science center that is present in communities throughout Texas.
Contact: Elizabeth J. Fulce, 214-828-8214