Ann Arbor, MI — April 14, 2011 — Three University of Michigan School of Dentistry dental hygiene students have received a first place national award for their project that explored the roles of health, community gardening, and proper nutrition. 

Three other dental hygiene students received an honorable mention for their initiative that investigated reasons local dentists have been unable to volunteer at a local children’s dental clinic.  Both awards were presented earlier this week during the American Association of Public Health Dentistry’s National Oral Health Conference in Pittsburgh.

First Place

Anja Hoffstrom, Brandi Johnson, and Elizabeth Brown won first place for their study that assessed the results of a community garden project at the Huron Valley Boys and Girls Club.  Many are from lower socioeconomic groups who have limited access to a nutritionally balanced diet.  Since 2003, dental hygiene students have been actively involved in a service-learning partnership educating youngsters at the Ypsilanti facility on a range of topics, including oral health.  Many Club members are from lower socioeconomic groups who have limited access to a nutritionally balanced diet.

For several years, dental hygiene students have developed and presented education programs that emphasize the importance of good nutrition, oral health, and proper dental care at home to help minimize dental caries. One recurring theme reported by students and the HVBGC staff was that club members were often hungry.  In addition, members and their families do not eat the proper amount of fresh fruits and vegetables.  A two-bed community garden was constructed in 2009 to help address those concerns. 

A year later, funding was obtained from the University of Michigan Ginsberg Center and an American Dental Hygienists’ Association Rosie Wall Community Spirit grant to further develop the project.  The two-bed garden expanded to five beds in 2010 totaling approximately 300 square feet.  As each of the 21 vegetables and fruits were harvested from May though September, the dental hygiene students presented nutritional information to the Boys and Girls Club members about each food, oral health, and exercise.

More than 400 pounds of food were used to prepare healthy meals and snacks for HVGBC members.  Any remaining produce was donated to area nonprofit organizations.  Based on prices of similar foods at various area supermarkets, the value of the yield from the garden was estimated to be more than $340.

“Because of this project, our dental hygiene students were able to talk about subjects that included not just good oral health, but also healthy life choices, proper nutrition, gardening, and giving back to the community,” said Anne Gwozdek, director of the School’s Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Programs, who mentored the three students.

Honorable Mention

Miranda Marion, Michelle Uekihara, and Sabrina Williams received an honorable mention for their project that investigated the barriers that prevent dentists in the Ann Arbor area from volunteering at the Washtenaw Children’s Dental Clinic (WCDC).  The nonprofit clinic, located at the Ann Arbor Open School (the old Mack School), has been serving the needs of children from low-income families in Washtenaw County since 1952.

Carrie Ghaname, adjunct clinical lecturer who was one of three faculty mentors, said, “In recent years, WCDC has been exploring ways to recruit more dentists from the community to volunteer their time and expertise to help in the children’s clinic.  I’m confident that the results of the survey conducted by Miranda, Michelle, and Sabrina will give WCDC the information it needs to help it achieve that goal.”  The other two faculty mentors were Susan Taichman and Erin Relich.