School of Dentistry volunteers at health fair, Special Olympics Texas

Dental and dental hygiene students volunteered at two recent outreach events, participating in the UTHealth Houston Cares 2025 Community Health Fair in March and the Special Olympics Texas Winter Games in February.

UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry students were among 90 to volunteer at the 2025 Community Health Fair held on March 22 at UT Physicians Multispecialty – Jensen. The event was part of UTHealth Houston Cares, an interprofessional, student-driven organization.

Participants provided individuals and families from the community free oral screenings, fluoride application, informational pamphlets, and oral hygiene take-home kits.

Dental student volunteers included fourth-years Noah Manubay and Brandom Pham; third-years Ryan To, Annie Nguyen, Mike Nguyen, Amy Tran, and Kaitlin Ou; and second-year Nicole Akukoro. Dental hygiene students included second-years Aaron Andres and Anisia Gaza; and first-years Montserrant Reyes and Ashlyn Tran.

The students were supported by Thomas Harrison, DDS, MBA, clinical assistant professor, who offered guidance and shared valuable insights as students educated the community on the importance of regular dental visits.

In addition to the health fair, representatives from the School of Dentistry also gave back to the community with their participation in the Healthy Athletes Special Smiles program at the Special Olympics Texas Winter Games in late February.

The dental component of the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program, known as Special Smiles, is one of several medical specialty areas offering free health screenings and education.

At the health screening, dental and dental hygiene students, dentists, and other volunteers collaborated to provide oral health screenings and health education to Special Olympics athletes. Specific services provided by the dental team included head and neck exams, oral health exams, oral cancer screenings, and oral health education.

In addition, volunteers also arranged follow-up dental visits with local community resources specializing in care for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities for athletes who needed it.

Dental student volunteers included second-years Michael Landavazo and Madison Mosley. Dental hygiene students included second-years Victoria Boreman, Evelyn Garcia, Amanda Pham, and Stephanie Seymour.

Faculty supporting the event included David Fray, DDS, MBA; Esther Kuyinu, DDS, MS; Ahmad Naraghi, DDS; Victoria Patrounova, RDH, MHA; Amy Ridall, DDS, MS, PhD; and Erin Potts, DDS.