Another year, another fantastic Smile Camp hosted by our outstanding Dental Hygiene faculty and students at West Coast University-Orange County.
Providing Free Dental Care & Education
Held in celebration of Children’s Dental Health month, Smile Camp is a special event designed to provide local children with free dental services while educating them on the importance of good oral hygiene.
“Smile Camp is a community service event that the dental hygiene program puts on for students to work with children in our community. We do free cleanings and X-rays and even some sealants,” WCU dental hygiene instructor and BSDH alumna Katie B. shared.
The event also featured a dedicated education room where children could learn about oral hygiene in an engaging way.
“We take students after they’re seen with the dentist and the hygienist, and they go to another room, and they get a lot of education where they learn more about brushing and flossing,” Katie explained. They just get a better understanding about food and diet and how that reacts with their teeth.”
A Valuable Learning Experience for WCU Students
Smile Camp is not only a rewarding experience for the children but also for the West Coast University Dental Hygiene students who participate.
“We take all the applications that we’ve used and taught them for the last three or four terms, and we apply it today where they just focus on children,” Katie shared. ” It’s a great place because we have all the balloons and everything to make it so welcoming for everybody to come.”
For many students, Smile Camp offers their first real-world experience working with pediatric patients.
“The students get to use their skills, and while we apply a lot of our application on adults, they don’t get a lot of experience with children. So, this is a great opportunity for all the students to have some experience time with children,” Katie added.
A Strong Community Turnout
This year’s Smile Camp was a resounding success, with an overwhelming response from the community.
“Today, the feedback has been awesome. We’ve had such a turnout that we have people waiting in line, which is wonderful,” Katie said. “The students are so eager to keep working. They have scheduled times to be here, but so many are just over their scheduled time because they see the benefit of volunteering. Community is a huge part of dental hygiene.”
About the WCU Dental Hygiene Clinic
The impact of Smile Camp extends beyond a single event — West Coast University’s Dental Hygiene Clinic continues to serve the community year-round. The clinic is an educational facility where Dental Hygiene students provide high-quality oral health care under the supervision of licensed dentists and registered dental hygienists.
Couldn’t make it to Smile Camp? The West Coast University Dental Hygiene Clinic is open to the public Monday through Friday, offering no-cost services to more than 15,000 adult and child patients a year.
The West Coast University Dental Hygiene Clinic is located at 1477 S Manchester Ave., Anaheim, CA, 92802 (Fourth Floor). Walk-ins are accepted, but appointments are recommended. To schedule an appointment, call (877) 928-2546.
WCU provides career guidance and assistance but cannot guarantee employment. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or position of the school or of any instructor or student.
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