Dental students raise awareness for Global Dental and Oral Trauma Day
From left: Professor Gisela V. Bona, DDS, MS, and fourth-year dental students Haniah Bashir, Olivia Vega and Lourdes Dinh, members of the Honors in Pediatric Dentistry elective. Photo by Kyle Rogers.
UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry students and faculty marked Global Dental and Oral Trauma Day on Sept. 21 with a video series to raise awareness about dental and oral injuries and how to respond when they occur.
Professor Gisela V. Bona, DDS, MS, and six fourth-year dental students in the Honors in Pediatric Dentistry elective created the series leading up to the annual observance. The students—Haniah Bashir, Peyton Cain, Lourdes Dinh, Reed Garret, Carrie Freeman, and Olivia Vega—shared practical information about dental trauma and the importance of responding promptly to injuries.
The video series, shared on Bona’s Instagram account, covered topics including how dental injuries can occur, what to do when a tooth is fractured, and the role of dental professionals in educating patients, families, schools, coaches, and communities about dental trauma.
In one video, the students explained that dental injuries can happen during sports, falls, accidents, or everyday activities and may involve the teeth, gums, lips, supporting bone, and other structures of the mouth. They emphasized the importance of knowing what to do and acting quickly when an injury occurs.
Another video focused on a fractured tooth, advising parents and caregivers to first make sure the child has no other serious injuries, then locate and save any broken tooth fragments, and contact a dentist for evaluation. Even injuries that do not appear serious should be examined by a dental professional.
The final video, released Sept. 21, emphasized that education can help prevent injuries and that knowing how to respond when trauma occurs can make a difference.
“As future dental professionals, we have an important role in educating our patients, families, schools, coaches, and communities about dental trauma,” the students said in the video.
Global Dental and Oral Trauma Day was established by the International Association of Dental Traumatology in 2024. The Sept. 21 observance commemorates the formation of the IADT and adoption of the Stockholm Manifesto on Accident Prevention, which states that “all human beings have equal right to health and safety.” The annual observance highlights the impact of dental and oral trauma, the dental community’s role in managing injuries, and the importance of prevention and education.
Bona has been an IADT member since 2012 and teaches dental trauma to dental students while providing instruction on the topic at local, national, and international levels.