Blasting away

Texas A&M College of Dentistry’s Empowering Smiles Initiative held its second Blast Day Feb. 26 at Blair Elementary School, part of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District. Ten dental students and four dental hygiene students, supervised by public health sciences and under the direction of Dr. Amal Noureldin, provided screenings, fluoride varnish applications and oral health education to 157 children from kindergarten through fifth grade.

Dentistry students and faculty have conducted three Blast Day screening events so far, providing fluoride treatments and free oral health kits to 348 children. The first Blast Day was Feb. 12 at McLaughlin Strickland Elementary School and the third was March 5 at McWhorter Elementary School. Other Blast Days at schools are March 26 at McKamy Elementary School and April 9 at McKamy Elementary School.

Blast Day is one of four programs in this initiative implemented in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD by the College of Dentistry team. This program is funded through a grant from Metrocrest Hospital Authority.