JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Students at the Concorde Career Institute on Salisbury Road on the Southside are using their time this Spring Break to teach kids about proper dental hygiene.
The program, called “Bright Smiles for Children in the Community,” offers children free dental care this week.
Children as young as 3 years old all the way through high school are able to get free services throughout the week.
The services include cleanings, X-rays, sealants, fluoride treatments and a comprehensive exam.
Eve Ottis, a clinic instructor at the school, said there is a need for those kinds of services.
“Dental services in general are very expensive in this day and age,” Ottis said. “Dental insurance is not dental insurance. For kids to have this kind of availability for free services is huge. You are looking at probably $300-$400 in savings by coming here and having the X-rays, the cleaning, fluoride treatments and sealants. Sealants themselves are probably about $75 apiece. On average, kids need about four to eight sealants.”
Those giving the treatments are students at the dental school who will become certified registered dental hygienists upon graduating.
Kelsey Harris is in her first year of the two-year program. One of the children she gave a cleaning to was her son, who is in the third grade.
“Everyone has been really thankful,” Harris said. “It’s been a really great experience to be able to be with the parents, be with the kids, teach them about hygiene, show them the benefits of having their teeth cleaned, getting down to the nitty-gritty with the parents and even the students, and little kids. It has been a really awesome experience.”
Ottis, who has been in the industry for 25 years, said this unique program is mutually beneficial for those involved.
“They love it,” Ottis said about the students giving the dental care. “They want more of it. They are really excited. A lot of them have never worked with children before. It is quite an experience. They are excited. They want more.”
Harris said she is grateful to make a difference in a way she knows how.
“I know there are a lot of people out in Jacksonville who are not able to have the care that they need and that they deserve,” Harris said. “It has been really awesome to be one-on-one with the kids, with the students, and things like that to give the kids the care that they deserve. I really love children. I have three of my own. It has been really great and really rewarding, and I would love to do it every single year.”
Families interested in getting free treatment for their children can either show up at the dental school at 7259 Salisbury Road, Suite 120, in Jacksonville or call ahead to schedule an appointment at 904-515-5518.