MOSAIC outreach brings dental care to health fair

UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry students and faculty volunteers pose at their outreach table at the Restoration Chapel Health Fair.

Students and faculty from UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry provided oral health outreach at the Redeemed Christian Church of God Restoration Chapel Health Fair on Sept. 19 in Houston.

The collaborative wellness event brought together specialists from multiple health care disciplines to provide health screenings and education for adults and children. The dental team provided head and neck examinations, oral health screenings, oral hygiene education, and nutritional counseling.

Volunteers also shared information about local dental providers with participants who did not have a dentist of record or had not visited a dentist in several years. The team also screened participants who shared that they had never visited a dentist.

The outreach was organized under the auspices of the school’s MOSAIC initiative in collaboration with the student chapter of the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry, the Special Care Dentistry Association, and the Student National Dental Association. Esther Kuyinu, DDS, served as faculty sponsor.

Volunteers from the School of Dentistry included third-year students Michael Chai, Rodas Hagos, Yousef Hilal, Evan Ji, and Osaivbie Uhunmwuangho, as well as faculty members Roxana Byers, DDS; Ngozi Nwizu, DDS; and Kuyinu, DDS.

The event provided an opportunity for School of Dentistry students and faculty to connect with community members, promote oral health, and help participants identify resources for ongoing dental care.