Clinic, Rotary, schools partner for oral health program

April 26, 2018

The Northern Neck – Middlesex Free Health Clinic (NNMFHC), with funding from the Northern Neck Rotary Club, initiated a “Healthy Teeth-Happy Smiles” pilot program during the 2017-18 school year.

Partners in the program, in addition to Northern Neck Rotary were the VCU School of Dentistry, Lancaster County Public Schools, Chesapeake Academy, and the Virginia Department of Health.

Through the grant, oral health education was given at Lancaster Primary School and Chesapeake Academy by VCU dental hygiene students who were on rotation in the NNMFHC Dental Clinic. Clinic Board member Anne Kornegay helped coordinate the program, which involved a total of 380 students at the two schools, from pre-kindergarten through third grade, and 27 teachers and aides. Five programs were held at LPS and one at Chesapeake Academy.

Participants included six hygiene students as well as Olivia Loving, a remote supervision dental hygienist with the Virginia Department of Health, Oral Health Division. In December, she began working with diabetic patients at the Clinic two days a week, and doubled up for the school programs.

Anne Kornegay coordinated with the school nurse and other personnel to arrange the programs, which included give-away bags for all of the students, and printed material for them to take home on available services at the NNMFHC Dental Clinic. A “Name the Dragon” contest, with cash prizes for each grade, also was held; the dragon served as a mascot for the presentations.