Students Gain Perspective at Mattapan Health Care Revival Fair

Fourteen student representatives from GSDM, including students from the BU chapter of SNDA attended the Mattapan Health Care Revival Fair on Saturday, September 13. The group was led by Clinical Instructor Dr. Corinna Culler, and they provided screenings and information to the attendees. In total they screened about 60 people, mainly adults.

Culler said of the people they saw, “Many of the adults we screened already receive dental care through the Mattapan Community Health Center, yet they still seemed eager to have us do screenings. Several people also stopped by to ask our advice about what to do since they don’t have dental insurance. In that case we gave them the number to call MassHealth to see if they are eligible and also information on how to seek out free care if they are not eligible.”

CHP Oral Health Promotion Director Kathy Lituri set up the volunteer effort for this event. She encourages students to get involved with events of this type because: “I think at these types of events students learn things from a few different perspectives. First, they realize how a screening in a community-based setting can be done in a useful way. Screenings are often a good way to introduce someone with anxiety to having someone look in their mouth in a friendly, non-invasive manner. Second, they get to learn first-hand about some of the concerns or issues folks may have. And finally, they learn how to “break the ice” with folks and to get them talking about oral health and mouths and teeth.”