Above are photos from the community service project that I participated in at P.S. 109 in District 22! We assessed the dental knowledge of 4-5 year olds, in order to effectively teach them how to brush, and educate them on proper nutrition to avoid caries. My individual role in this activity was to help create the nutrition poster board game that differentiated between healthy/unhealthy foods. As a result, my contribution made the event better, because we designed it so that the children can be interactive and place foods in their respective columns. The children were very excited to be able to participate in this game, and it left a lasting impact on them.
Above are photos from my outreach activity at the Head Start Center in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Myself, along with my fellow Public Health classmates, spent the day providing dental exams and fluoride application to the children belonging to the program. I had several roles during this experience, as I first began collecting parental consent forms from all the teachers of each class. I then proceeded to direct the children to the proper exam stations, and then led them to the nutritional activities that were set up for them afterwards. Once I completed this rotation, I then began giving the children examinations and fluoride applications myself. I documented missing teeth, restorations, and caries, while completing a referral form at the end if needed. As a result, my contributions made this event better, because I detected many children who had severe early childhood caries, and was able to write referrals for immediate dental care. Additionally, the administration of fluoride varnish application was extremely needed in this community, and I was able to aid in its benefits.
