Project Healthy Smile Connects Dental Students With Children Needing Treatment July 25, 2024 Sometimes getting children to go to the dentist can be as difficult as, well, pulling teeth! But, not at the free dental clinic tucked away inside the Boys & Girls Club of Albany. There, a program called Project Healthy Smile aims to create a positive dental experience in a comfortable and familiar environment, encouraging a lifetime of healthy dental habits. The program helps increase dental access in the community. It also provides a training ground for dental assisting students. The project is a collaboration between the Boys & Girls Club of Albany and Practical Dental Assisting of Oregon. It is partially supported by social accountability funding from Samaritan Albany General Hospital and Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. Project Healthy Smile: Because Teeth Are Cool! Raquel Hultberg is an expanded functions dental assistant, the dental clinic coordinator — and enthusiastic supporter of all things related to dental and oral health. “I think a big misconception is that coming to the dentist is scary. One of my all‑time goals is to make sure that kiddos don’t have a bad experience because that, in turn, follows them into their adulthood,” she said. “I think teeth are cool and it’s a very important part of our systemic health,” Hultberg said. “I’m just very thankful for my team — my dental assistant and my bilingual health navigator. We’re like the dream team and we work really well together.” The team sees children and teens ages 3 to 18 whose families may not have the resources to seek the dental care “they need and deserve,” Hultberg said. “We do everything from cleanings, X‑rays and exams with the dentist along with full restorative work such as toothcolored fillings, amalgam fillings, tooth extractions and baby root canals. We do the complete spectrum as a fully functional dental clinic while being a dental home for our kiddos too.” While the rest of the Boys & Girls Club may be buzzing with recreational and educational activities, the dental clinic is a hidden gem, with two operatories, X‑ray processing area and full laboratory. Dental clinics are held five to seven times a month, by appointment. Collaboration Makes It Possible A vital part of Project Healthy Smile is the partnership with Practical Dental Assisting of Oregon, which brings dental assisting interns into the clinic. To date, nine students have trained at the club’s dental clinic, experiencing a hands‑on, workforce environment. “Training dental assisting students is a really big passion of mine because dental assisting schools are only meeting about 8% of the need,” Hultberg said. “We’re able to give them a hands‑on experience to complement the school’s lecture‑style education, really setting them up for success. It’s been fun and cool to see.” Boosting Self-Esteem Hultberg relayed a patient story, with permission, that illustrates the impact of Project Healthy Smile. “When we first met him, he had a lot of extensive dental needs such as needing crowns on almost all of his front teeth. We’ve been working on his restorations every month and every time we see him he just opens up more and feels a lot more comfortable and he’s smiling,” Hultberg said. “Seeing this and his mom’s reaction is the reason why we do this. She can see her son blossoming and gaining more confidence. The last time we saw him, she was so emotional and just so thankful — and that’s why we do what we do. This is a soul fulfilling opportunity for us.” Learn more about Samaritan’s community benefit programming and social accountability funding at samhealth.org/CommunityBenefit.
