In honor of National Dental Hygiene Month, the West Coast University dental hygiene department hosted its inaugural tooth fairy ball for students and faculty.
“We’re just celebrating National Dental Hygiene Month, which is every October, and having a little fun,” WCU Dental Hygiene Dean Michelle Hurlbutt said. “Usually we do some sort of student appreciation event and so we thought we would try the Tooth Fairy Ball this year. We plan to do it every year along with a lot of other events this month.”
Partygoers were required to come in costume with dental themes, including “tooth fairy,” “dental equipment” and “bacteria associated with oral disease.” There was also a Karaoke contest and dental hygiene trivia contest.
WCU dental hygiene student Ashly dela Resma decided to embrace her fears and dress up as a benign cystic teratoma.
WCU dental hygiene student Ashly dela Resma gets into character before the costume contest. Dela Resma came as a benign cystic teratoma — obviously.
“It’s from our Oral Pathology class,” dela Resma said. “When we studying different cysts it freaked me out and everyone suggested that I be it just to kind of face my fears. So you can see the hair, the teeth and the skip flaps — because when you open up this little cyst, all of this is in there in a little bundle.”
The dental hygiene school usually volunteers at one event per month, Dean Hurlbutt said, but was stepping up for Dental Hygiene Month. In addition to running a toothbrush swap at the Orange County campus for all students and associates, DH students are attending a health fair in San Bernardino County and a providing direct patient care at a free community clinic in Los Angeles County.
“Halloween is the worst time of year for teeth as it relates to the consumption of candies and treats — which causes our mouth to become more acidic and more at-risk for cavities,“ Hurlbutt said. “I think any month is good for dental hygiene because we’re always out there trying to ensure everyone has optimal oral health.”
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