�鶹��ý Provided Free Dental Cleanings for Communities Nationwide in October

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�鶹��ý Provided Free Dental Cleanings for Communities Nationwide in October

Three-picture collage of �鶹��ý's Making Tampa Smile Event including, two people standing in front a sign, a child smiling in his stroller, and a student providing dental services to a patient.

Over 125 people nationwide are smiling brighter, thanks to �鶹��ý Career College’s National Dental Hygiene Month initiative. �鶹��ý hosted five events in California, Florida, and Missouri, where kids aged 4-17 received no-cost dental services, including cleanings, x-rays, fluoride applications, sealants, and dental kits filled with oral care essentials.

In addition to honoring the dental hygiene profession, October’s awareness month underscores the importance of preventive care and oral health access for children and families. The most recent national data shows that more than 61 million Americans live in dental health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).¹

“Oral health impacts overall health—yet so many families face barriers to dental care access. That’s why our students and faculty stepped up to offer no-cost services to our communities and raise awareness about the importance of oral care to health and wellbeing,” said Kevin Prehn, President of �鶹��ý.

Prehn added: “Initiatives like this are deeply meaningful for the �鶹��ý community and we’re grateful to PDS Health, Heartland Dental, and Liberty Dental Plan who helped make the events possible through their sponsorships.”

All services were provided by �鶹��ý’s dental hygiene students under the direct supervision of faculty and licensed dental professionals. Oral care prevention information was also shared with families.

“Dental caries—also known as cavities or tooth decay—is the most prevalent, chronic childhood disease. Through cleanings and preventive care, we can help move the needle on addressing that issue and help set up kids for healthier lives,” said Lisa Thurlow, Clinical Dentist, �鶹��ý–Kansas City.

In addition to kids, the San Diego and Miramar campuses also served adults and seniors from their communities.

“We had such a fun, productive day of serving children and seniors from our community. It was great hands-on experience for our students, and it was so heartwarming to see all the kids’ smiles. One little girl and her mother insisted we take their picture because they were so excited about their dental cleaning and new electric toothbrush,” said Adela Mills, Dental Hygiene Program Director, �鶹��ý–Miramar.

Several media outlets in California, Florida, and Missouri provided news coverage of the initiative. Feature stories included:

�鶹��ý’s commitment to providing community access to dental care goes beyond National Dental Hygiene Month. �鶹��ý operates Dental Hygiene Clinics at all campuses that offer dental hygiene programs, which are open to the public throughout the year. Clinic hours vary by location.

Four-picture collage of a �鶹��ý Smile Event including three pictures of students providing dental services and a picture of two patients smiling with their mother.

¹Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, , Designated Health Professional Shortage Areas Statistics, viewed October 14, 2025.

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