The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) received a $375,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) to create academic-community partnerships to help children who lack access to dental care.
Howard University College of Dentistry, the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, and the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry will participate in the ADEA/WKKF Dental School Outreach Program as pilot institutions.
Dental caries is the most prevalent of all childhood illnesses, according to the ADEA. More than 51 million school hours and 164 million work hours are lost each year due to dental-related absences. The pilot schools are currently operating as safety-net providers for the poor and underserved.
"The partnerships will link oral health education with the general health and well-being of children by including activities that build self-esteem and enhance career aspirations," the ADEA stated in a press release.
Each school will have a project director overseeing efforts to provide dental screening and treatment for vulnerable children. The project will involve dental students as both mentors and role models and an expanded mentoring resource at www.explorehealthcareers.org.
ADEA will provide program oversight as the centralized program office for the 18-month grant period. The pilot activities will eventually become integrated into the curriculum of the three schools.
An additional goal of the grant is to create models for similar efforts at other U.S. dental schools.
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