Students, Residents, Faculty, Staff Team Up to Give Kids a Smile

Pre-dents Lend a Hand

For 26 U-M undergraduates, the Give Kids a Smile program was an opportunity to work with dental and dental hygiene students and faculty and to learn more about the profession before applying to dental school.

Zach Miller, double major in biochemistry and anthropology/zoology, said he's been thinking about dentistry for some time and hopes to be admitted after he graduates. "I have been working in the laboratory of Dr. Elliott Hill and my experiences there and being able to help the dental students here, have been great," he said.

Renee O'Brien, a junior majoring in biopsychology, helped at the checkout desk. "I'd like to get into the profession," she said. "I enjoy working with my hands and think dentistry would give me a great opportunity to do that and, more importantly, make a difference in the lives of kids by doing work that makes them smile again."

Puneet Rangi, a sophomore majoring in neuroscience, and a member of the pre-dental club, said she has been considering dentistry for some time. "My cousin in New Jersey is a dentist and I shadowed a dentist in Owosso, Michigan, when I was in high school. I enjoyed it. Being at the Give Kids a Smile program gives me an opportunity to see students in action and see the results of their work," she said.

"Superbly Organized" - Preparing a Year in Advance

"This program was superbly organized. It's amazing," said Dr. Stephen Stefanac, associate dean for Patient Services, during the Give Kids a Smile program.

Andrea Fraser, a third-year dental student who directed the School's efforts, said she started working on this year's program "the day after last year's event. I went over things that worked and things that needed to be different. I also compiled suggestions given to me by those who participated last year."

Fraser said her work received a boost when she and another third-year dental student, Lauren Johnson, went to the ADA's Give Kids a Smile symposium in Chicago.

"This gave us a chance to learn more about how other events across the country, as well as those at other dental schools, were organized," she said.

Series of Small Steps Over Time

Instead of trying to do everything all at once a week or even a month before the February event, Fraser took a series of small steps over an extended period of time.

That included requesting supplies from the ADA Web site; meeting with Stefanac and others in the office of patient services - Jean Thompson, Georgia Kasko, and Jane McDougall - to review details of the event and discuss the support that would be needed; coordinating advertising with the Washtenaw District Dental Society (which donated $1,000 to cover costs); and advising students and faculty to "save the date," Feb. 2, for the program.

In early January, she sent out letters and flyers to elementary schools in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Two first-year dental students, members of the Taft Society, displayed flyers at local businesses.

Simultaneously, Fraser worked with three of her classmates - Lauren Johnson, Piper Huber, and Christian Groth - to determine the best way to prepare everyone (patients, parents, and volunteers) to efficiently handle up to 100 children.

Two days before the event, Fraser met with students and other volunteers to make sure they understood what would occur. She also distributed a clinic flow chart that was displayed in all of the cubicles and distributed to all faculty and pediatric residents.

Dental and dental hygiene students and the pediatric residents were all given a 15-step "to do" list. The first step was setting up the cubicle. The final step was resetting it.

The day of the event, students arrived early to place direction signs in hallways and next to elevator doors. Inside elevators, were hand-made signs that noted where activities were occurring.

"Listening to suggestions from the registration and dispensing staff was critical to the organization and success of this year's event," Fraser said.