Limitations
Preventive care services generally include X-rays, tooth cleanings, and oral exams.
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Pre-dental students would not be allowed to perform any of these services.
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But there is one thing that pre-dental students may do to help people that could be just as impactful if done at the right time: educate.
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These are some preventive measures people may take to avoid needing excessive dental care down the line:​
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Brushing one's teeth at least twice a day
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Using a fluoride toothpaste
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Using a soft-bristle toothbrush
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Flossing daily
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Using a mouthwash
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Limiting acidic foods
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Being careful with very hard foods
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Avoiding smoking, tobacco products, and nicotine pouches
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Not brushing one's with too much pressure
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There are rationales to help people remember the importance of following these guidelines. Brushing teeth too hard can irritate the gums. Nicotine patches can lead to gum erosion. Not flossing daily can lead to food particles becoming trapped and rotting between the teeth.
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Education is not the only thing we can do to help. We also have the ability to offer supplies to the audience. For example, we could offer fluoride toothpaste.
Keeping fluoride in mind, educating people and supplying them with the tools to keep their teeth in better shape is the most beneficial way to set them up for success
Education reaches beyond the initial audience. Those with children will know how to help their kids. And when those kids are old enough, they may already be aware of proper habits that will support their long-term dental hygeine.
Mutual Benefits
This program would benefit the audience, the school, and the students. We've already touched upon the benefits of preventive care to those in need; next, we will dive into the benefits for JMU and for the students involved.
Students
Team-building and engaging with the community are two significant benefits for a student involved in this program. Building connections with people from various backgrounds is vital for entering the professional world, and for showing initiative and compassion.
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In addition, pre-dental students are expected to have an average of 100 volunteer hours for their dental application. This program offers a perfect opportunity to gain those hours while also practicing initiative, community-building, and dental field interest. This program would be beneficial for a student to add to a dental school application for community service, meaning that they would get the benefits of connecting, collaborating, and working on something meaningful, while also getting longer-term benefits of potentially improving their chances for dental school acceptance, which is a very competitive process. The acceptance rate, for instance, at the VCU school of dentistry last year was 4.38%.
JMU
The number of undergraduate colleges with pre-dental care outreach and education programs is scarce and hard to come across. The University of Minnesota and the University of Kentucky both have similar programs, but both focus on educating children, not people experiencing homelessness.
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JMU has the opportunity to be one of, if not the first, colleges to create a program that focuses on preventive dental education and supplies care to low-income individuals that is University-based, not just a pre-dental club activity.
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This program could benefit JMU's reputation.
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Also, connecting back to the community service hours, students with more dental-relevant volunteer hours may slightly raise their chances of moving to the interview process part of the dental school application. If this were the case, JMU may be able to raise the percentage of pre-dental students who are accepted into dental schools each year.