UAA dental students serve up smiles for Children’s Day

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - It was a packed house inside the University of Alaska Anchorage’s dental clinic. Friday was all about serving up smiles for the first ever Children’s Day.

Kids under the age of 18 received free preventative dental care. Everything from x-rays, dental exams and cleanings to fluoride treatments and more. The services were performed by the university’s dental program students. It was an opportunity to give back to the community while also gaining hours needed for dental students to complete their degrees.

“I love dental hygiene. I love the preventative aspect of it,” said Leslie Koldeway, a senior in the Dental Hygiene Program. “It’s just a systemic concern, our teeth have a lot to do with the rest of our health and I love providing care to patients.”

“I actually have an aunt who is a dental hygienist and I’ve never met somebody who loved her job as much as she did and just growing up, I’ve always had her advocating about how good of a profession it was and she really inspired me to do something just like dental hygiene and I’m so glad I did it because I’ve been loving every minute of it,” added junior Meachah Caamano-Moreno.

The students were supervised by a licensed dentist and several licensed hygienists and assistants. Outside of Friday’s event, the UAA dental clinic provides low-cost care to Alaskans. Head to the university’s dental clinic web page to learn more.

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