Photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash.
Texas A&M University College of Dentistry on Gaston Avenue is continuing the Empowering Smiles Oral Health Initiative Program thanks to a grant from Metrocrest Hospital Authority.
The Carrollton-based institution gave the college’s Department of Public Health Sciences $210,000 to sustain the program, which was launched last year, according to an article on the college’s Insights website. As part of the program, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD students receive preventative oral health care (like sealants and fluoride varnish), dental screenings and oral health education. Empowering Smiles also supports community events in that area, including Addison and Coppell.
Now, services will reach 10 schools, twice as many as last year, according to the article.
“We are proud to continue our partnership with Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, helping to expand access to preventative dental care for children in our community,” Metrocrest Hospital Authority COO Krista Farber Weinstein said in the article. “This initiative aligns directly with MHA’s mission of improving overall health by investing in prevention, care, and education — ensuring a healthier future for the families we serve.”
More Texas children between ages 6-8 have tooth decay than the national average, according to the article.
“Prevention is the foundation of lifelong oral health,” said Amal Noureldin, Empowering Smiles Oral Health Initiative Program director, in the article. “Our data from last year found elementary school-aged children in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch community experience disproportionately high rates of tooth decay.”
Noureldin, who is also a clinical professor and director of predoctoral programs in Public Health Sciences, and Public Health Sciences Program Manager Luz Mendoza said over 2,000 people are expected to be screened during the school year via this program. This would be double that of the number of people screened in the last grant period, according to the article.
The college has also provided sealant services to Dallas ISD, Richardson ISD, Garland ISD and Irving ISD previously.
