U-M dental students to provide oral health care to migrant workers this summer

June 19, 2003
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ANN ARBOR—One of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry’s oldest and best known outreach programs, the summer migrant dental clinic, begins its 30th year of operation this month. Beginning June 23 and continuing through Aug. 1, U-M dental students will provide a range of oral health care services to migrant workers and their children at three locations in the Traverse City area. Basic services include screenings, oral exams, and cleanings. When necessary, extractions, and X-rays will be provided. The dental students will also advise parents and children on the correct way to care for their teeth and other actions they can take to improve their oral health. Oral health care will be provided at three sites:

  • Elk Rapids Middle School, 707 E. 3rd St.
  • Kaleva Community Elementary School, 9208 Kauko St.
  • Suttons Bay Elementary School, 310 Elm St.
Portable equipment, including dental chairs, drills, air, water, and x-ray machines, will be set up at all locations. Children of the migrant workers will receive dental care during the day at the schools while their parents are working. Adults will receive oral health care in the late afternoon or early evening. Twenty-four dental students, all of whom begin their final year of dental education this fall, will provide the oral health care. More than twice as many students volunteered to participate in the program. Andres Ocampo and Ryan Van Haren will supervise this summer’s program, as they did last summer. Robert Bagramian, professor of dentistry, is the director of the summer program. Last year, nearly 300 adults and children received oral health care at the three sites. Oral health care ranged from screenings to x-rays, extractions, and fillings (amalgams and composites). The University of Michigan School of Dentistry is one of the nation’s leading dental schools engaged in oral health care education, research, patient care, and community service. General dental care clinics and specialty clinics providing advanced treatment enable the School to offer dental services and programs to patients throughout Michigan. Classroom and clinic instruction prepare future dentists, dental specialists, and dental hygienists for practice in private offices, hospitals, academia, and public agencies. Research seeks to discover and apply new knowledge that can help patients worldwide. For more information about the School of Dentistry, visit the Web at http://www.dent.umich.edu.