Dental Screenings for Children in Upper Manhattan

“Gives Kids a Smile”

NEW YORK (Feb. 12, 2009) – Nearly 1,000 children from across Upper Manhattan received oral health education and more than 500 received free screenings and treatments from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine faculty, residents, students and staff as part of the American Dental Association’s national “Give Kids a Smile Day.”

A dental student distributes free oral health care kits to students at Gregorio Luperon High School in Washington Heights. All photos credit: Michael Dames, CUMC.

Nationwide, nearly 50,000 dental professionals and volunteers screened children from low-income families at 2,000 locations as part of the ADA’s Give Kids a Smile Day on Friday, February 6, 2009.

The New York event was part of Columbia’s Community DentCare program, which visited seven public schools in Harlem and Washington Heights, and saw children in CUMC’s pediatric dental clinic on Haven Ave.

Schools participating included Bea Fuller/I.S. 528, P.S. 79, P.S. 98, Harlem Promise Academy, P.S. 173, P.S. 189 and Gregorio Luperon High School. While at Gregorio Luperon, the office of New York State Senator David Schneiderman presented a Certificate of Proclamation to the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, hailing its commitment to the community.

A College of Dental Medicine resident examines a student

A total of 579 children received dental examinations and 116 cavities were discovered. In all, 175 students had no obvious problems while slightly more -- 180 -- were told they had to a do better job brushing and flossing. Three were given emergency referrals.

An estimated 4 to 5 million children in America have dental problems so severe they have trouble eating, sleeping and learning, experts say.

Dr. Stephen Marshall

The annual CDM event was sponsored by Henry Schein, Inc., and is part of a larger scale effort to ensure the next generation of youth have healthy mouths – and good overall systemic health – heading into adulthood, said Stephen Marshall, D.D.S., M.P.H., head of Community DentCare, associate professor of clinical dentistry and associate dean for extramural programs for Columbia University Medical Center's College of Dental Medicine. Some 51 million school hours are lost each year in the United States due to oral health problems.

Dr. Amarilys Jacobo seen here with a student, after her screening

CDM students and faculty pose with a "Give Kids a Smile" holding the Proclamation from the office of State Sen. Eric Schneiderman. A total of 95 students, five residents and 2 full-time faculty participated.

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Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM) was established in 1916 as the School of Dental and Oral Surgery, when the School became incorporated into Columbia University. The College’s mission has evolved into a tripartite commitment to education, patient care, and research. The mission of the College of Dental Medicine is to train general dentists, dental specialists, and dental assistants in a setting that emphasizes comprehensive dental care delivery and stimulates professional growth; inspire, support, and promote faculty, pre- and postdoctoral student, and hospital resident participation in research to advance the professional knowledge base; and provide comprehensive dental care for the underserved community of northern Manhattan. For more information, please visit: http://dental.columbia.edu/

Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical and health sciences education, and in patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Established in 1767, Columbia's College of Physicians & Surgeons was the first institution in the country to grant the M.D. degree and is among the most selective medical schools in the country. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and state and one of the largest in the United States. For more information, please visit http://www.cumc.columbia.edu.