SUNY Canton hygiene program earns ADHA award

Jun 16, 2010

The American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) is recognizing the State University of New York (SUNY) Canton's dental hygiene program for its extensive work in the community for the third consecutive year.

The college's hygiene program, which is located at SUNY Canton's campus in Rome, NY, will receive the 2010 ADHA Student Member Community Service Award. SUNY Canton is one of just three recipients nationwide to receive the award, which will be presented at the ADHA conference in Las Vegas on June 25 and 26.

The program was selected as a result of several community outreach projects over the past two semesters, according to the college.

"Community health is the core of the dental hygiene profession," said Pamela Quinn, SUNY Canton's dental hygiene curriculum coordinator. "Our faculty embraces public health and encourages activities that will instill that value in our graduates. We hope our students will continue to participate in community health projects after they graduate."

In February, the students celebrated Dental Health Month by spending a Saturday in Syracuse exposing radiographs, providing cleanings, and applying fluoride varnish to high-risk teens attending Hillside Services.

The program also spearheaded a three-month project with three preschool classrooms at the Upstate Cerebral Palsy Center and five Head Start classrooms in Rome throughout the spring. Nearly 140 children benefited from the project, learning the importance of good oral hygiene.

The classroom teachers at both facilities organized a field trip to the SUNY Canton Dental Hygiene Clinic. During the visit, the children received a dental screening and an application of fluoride varnish. As a culmination activity, the college's dental hygiene students developed table clinics and hosted a mini health fair at each location.

"Through this project, the hygiene students offered their services to a population with unmet dental needs, and the children and teens from these agencies not only received free preventive dental care but also became more comfortable interacting with oral healthcare professionals," Quinn said. "It was a win-win situation for all involved."