Dental Hygiene Students Participate in Dental Outreach Program

On Tuesday, January 26, 2010, students from Fanshawe's Dental Hygiene program teamed up at the Glen Cairn Resource Centre with volunteer dentists, hygienists and students from UWO's Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry to offer free dental care to struggling families. The Dental Outreach Community Services (DOCS) program is part of the curriculum for dental students in the third and fourth year of their training at Schulich Dentistry and the program provides the opportunity for Dental Hygiene and dentistry students to work together.

Dental Outreach Community Services (DOCS) clinic at
London's Glen Cairn Resource Centre

The clinic, held from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., featured seven portable dental units, complete with chairs, stools, halogen lamps, water supply, suction, drills and X-ray equipment - everything necessary to provide much-needed dental care in a low-income community in London.

Second-year Dental Hygiene student Kaitlyn Burkholder at DOCS

"DOCS is a co-operative effort, with the London & District Dental Society, Fanshawe Dental Hygiene and Schulich Dentistry all playing vital roles," explained Dr. Kenneth Wright, Community Outreach Co-ordinator for DOCS. "It's very gratifying to see gymnasiums and halls transformed into busy dental clinics and to know we're providing a much-needed, and much-appreciated, service."

There are plans to hold 20 more clinics at various social service agencies this year.