Aspen Dental dentists and staff work hard every day to provide their patients with access to comprehensive dental care and quality service. But they also love giving their communities a reason to smile.

On Saturday, Feb. 19, dentists, hygienists and dental assistants at Aspen Dental offices in DeWitt and Camillus, NY, teamed up with the Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HW-SC) to provide a day of free dental services to approximately 50 Syracuse-area high school students. Dental hygiene students from the State University of New York at Canton also donated their time and talents. This was the second consecutive year of the program, which provides students with x-rays, basic cleanings and fluoride treatments. In total, these services added up to nearly $15,000 in free dental care.

Understanding the connection between a healthy mouth and student performance is critical. Many people aren’t aware that poor oral health and dental-related pain can negatively impact a student’s academic performance, distracting them from their studies or causing them to miss class altogether. In fact, this day of free dental service fell during National Children’s Dental Health Month, an annual observance sponsored by the American Dental Association to raise awareness about the importance of developing good oral health habits at an early age.

Caption: Dr. Rachel Clay of Aspen Dental and Rayelle Church, 13, of the Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HW-SC) are all smiles after Rayelle’s examination on Saturday, February 19. Aspen Dental is a strong supporter of HW-SC, providing a four-year, $50,000 grant to support their efforts in the Syracuse City School District.

© 2011, Maureen Howes, RDH, MS. All rights reserved.