Recently, the Buffalo chapter of ASDA hosted a session of “Fun and Games with UB Dental” at our local nursing home, Elderwood. We chose to volunteer with this population because we often see that geriatric individuals are underserved when it comes to oral hygiene knowledge as well as access to oral hygiene supplies.
Everything started when I was not paying attention in my chemistry class. I was thinking about why I wanted to become a dentist. Ultimately, I deduced that I simply want to help people smile. As my mind continued racing, I realized that there are good smiles out there. No matter the smile, there is one characteristic that they almost all have in common. Teeth! Teeth are what make a smile beautiful, especially when they are clean, white and natural. Getting checked out regularly by a Dentist Turlock can help you maintain your beautiful clean teeth, so this is something that you need to be doing if you’re not already.
As the chemistry classes continued, so did my thought progression. How can I help people smile as an undergraduate freshman? Searching for ideas, I contacted my friend Jeffrey Kerst, a dental student at Louisiana State University. He told me about LSU’s program called “There’s Magic in Your Smile.” The purpose of the program was to teach children how to properly brush their teeth. Failure to do so often results in visiting the periodontics far more frequently than you would like later in life. Teaching kids dental hygiene seemed simple enough, so I began searching to find similar programs. The results yielded programs that did not fit my vision. There was only one thing I could do, start my own program.
LSU’s program was a good start, but I was confident that more could be accomplished. Discussions about the program at LSU spawned the “Natural Teeth Volunteer Guide.” The Guide contained the description of Natural Teeth and the organization’s mission. We were founded “to promote dental health through education and philanthropy.” Education through our Superhero Program would teach children how to defeat the bad guys: plaque and acid. Philanthropy would be accomplished by garnering donations in order to provide students with dental supplies. Would the children enjoy The Superhero Program? How would I secure donations? I was unsure if Natural Teeth would be successful, but I kept following my vision.
On July 11, 2016 Natural Teeth was registered as an official non-profit. Next we needed to create a website, apply for 501(c)(3) status and build a team of motivated individuals. By August, the goals were accomplished, we now needed students and funding.
At Natural Teeth’s first event, I found myself in front of hundreds of children. I called Jeffery in a panic looking for support and courage to teach our superheroes. After regaining focus, we taught and provided a toothbrushes to 956 superheroes in three days. We increased the number of superheroes to 1,500 by the end of our second event. The events were possible due to donations from Personal Oral Hygiene, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Personal Oral Hygiene became one of our first Natural Partners. Before their generous donation, I had self-funded the organization. We now have multiple Natural Partners, including Google and Community First Trust.
The progress that Natural Teeth has made so far is just the beginning. On April 4, 2017, our Superhero Program split into The Classic Superhero Program and The Emboldened Superhero Program. The Classic will remain the same as the original Superhero Program. The Emboldened has been added to accommodate students with special needs. The Emboldened Superhero Program affords all children the same opportunities.
Above all, the purpose of Natural Teeth is to serve the children. It is for Sarah, age 6, who shares a toothbrush with her brother. She said that “Mommy can’t afford brushes for the both of us.” It is for Josh, age 8, who has never been to the dentist. It is for Alex, age 7, who recently immigrated with his family to America. Sarah, Josh and Alex are just a few of the kids we have been fortunate enough to help. Become involved by visiting naturalteeth.org, contacting our team or becoming a Natural Partner. The children need you, Natural Teeth needs you, and the world needs you. So join us! Together, we will see a world where ALL smiles come naturally.
~Marco Gargano, University of Arkansas ’19, predental, founder & executive director of Natural Teeth
Being a first-year dental student comes with many challenges. The transition to daily classes, managing multiple exams each week and hours of studying can be both mentally and physically exhausting. The first couple months of dental school I was driven by the strong self-motivation that comes with finally starting my dream career. Unfortunately, it is easy to lose this enthusiasm in the day-to-day repetition of a rigorous schedule.
As I arrived outside of the Oregon Convention Center, a calm, dark morning was waiting for the sun to rise at 5:30 am in the morning. Entering the treatment area, the hustle of volunteers and patients turned my idea of volunteering into reality. I was excited to serve people, as it was my first experience at a state level dental event on such a large scale. I was assisting various departments as per their need depending on my shifts assigned at the event.
During one of my volunteer shifts in the restorative department as a dental assistant, a 62-year female patient who had been an opera singer in the past came for multiple fillings including her upper anterior teeth. At the beginning of the treatment, she shared her previous constructive experience at OrMOM and her words revealed her gratification that had brought her again to this event.
Volunteers from all across the nation gathered in San Antonio, Texas for the shared purpose of bridging the gap to oral care for patients unable to attain dental care due to financial reasons. During October 11-12, the ADA Mission of Mercy (MOM) transformed the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center into a fully functioning oral care center. On Saturday, the center was equipped with portable dental chairs and tables necessary to perform X-rays, sterilizations, exams, fillings, extractions, oral surgeries, endodontic treatment and even prosthodontic treatment. I was one of the predental students who volunteered my time to the ADA MOM with the hope of helping make a difference in the oral care of the community. Read about Ileana’s experience…
The past couple weeks, I’ve seen news stories pop up about dentists buying back Halloween candy from kids. There’s a Halloween Candy Buy Back program where dentists pay kids $1 per pound of candy they bring in and often give out toothbrushes and other oral hygiene supplies. They take the candy and donate it to an organization that ships it to U.S. troops overseas. We can only hope a few toothbrushes get shipped along with the candy! It’s a sweet program [pun intended] and a great way to get involved in your community.
There are plenty of ways to give back all year round–individually or as an ASDA chapter. But this time of year seems to warm people’s hearts and inspire more than the usual charity. If you’re looking for a way to give back this holiday season, here are three ideas on how to do so…
Beauty pageants aren’t my thing, but scholarship pageants are. As a 22 year-old dental student, you might wonder why I would be involved with the Miss America Organization and how I juggle my ASDA commitments and studies. Nine times out of 10, I believe that living in the present and following passions is more valuable than sticking to a rigid schedule. I picked up this mentality from the Miss America Organization.
