BCD students to provide free sealants Nov. 3

(DALLAS) – Dental students and faculty at the Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry will provide free dental sealants and cleanings for children ages 6-14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Nov. 3 at the College.

The initiative is a biannual event sponsored by the HSC-BCD Asian-American Dental Society. Services are provided free, but children must have appointments to be treated, and a parent or guardian must accompany them.

Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings painted on the chewing surfaces of the premolars and molars (back teeth). Sealant color is either clear or tinted, and the application is a simple, painless procedure.

“Children should get sealants on their permanent premolars and molars as soon as the teeth come in – before decay attacks the teeth,” said Dr. Loulou Moore, associate professor of restorative sciences at HSC-BCD and faculty adviser to the student group hosting the event.

“With regular checkups, dental sealants can last 10 years, which protects the children while they’re developing good oral hygiene habits,” Dr. Moore continued. “However, if sealants are chipped and worn out, they must be replaced for better protection.”

In addition to free dental sealants, HSC-BCD students will provide free dental cleanings and oral hygiene procedures for children who do not qualify to sealants due to cavities.

“We also offer a free follow-up for children who received sealants during the previous programs,” Dr. Moore said. “Free re-application of the sealant will be provided, if needed.”

To make an appointment for the Nov. 3 sealant event, contact Amir Rabiee at (214) 828-8400, ext. 4798. Leave your name and phone number after the prompt, and a dental student will return you call to set up an appointment.

The dental school is located at 3302 Gaston Ave., on the corner of Gaston and Hall streets in Dallas. The free services will be in the pediatric dentistry clinic on the second floor.

Founded in 1905, HSC-Baylor College of Dentistry at Dallas is a nationally recognized center for oral health sciences education, research, specialized patient care and continuing dental education.

The Texas A&M Health Science Center provides the state with health education, outreach and research. Its six components located in communities throughout Texas are Baylor College of Dentistry, the College of Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the Institute of Biosciences and Technology, the Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, and the School of Rural Public Health.