MOSAIC outreach supports Nigerian cultural festival

UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry students and faculty volunteers provide oral health screenings and education during the Nigerian Cultural Parade and Festival on Oct. 17 at Discovery Green in Houston.

Students and faculty from UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry provided oral health outreach during the 2026 Nigerian Cultural Parade and Festival on Oct. 17 at Discovery Green in Houston.

The dental team provided head and neck examinations, oral health screenings, oral cancer screenings, fluoride varnish applications, oral hygiene education, and nutritional counseling to festival attendees. Volunteers also shared information about local community resources to help connect individuals needing additional dental treatment with providers for follow-up care.

The annual parade and festival, organized by Culturally Naija and We Lead Inc., celebrates Nigerian culture through music, dance, food, and other cultural activities. The event brings together Houston’s Nigerian community and residents from across the region. The health fair was organized by the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas, Houston Chapter, and included medical screenings such as blood pressure and blood sugar checks.

The outreach was organized under the auspices of the school’s MOSAIC initiative in collaboration with the student chapter of the Student National Dental Association. Esther Kuyinu, DDS, served as faculty sponsor.

Faculty volunteers included Kuyinu and Erin Potts, DDS. Dental student volunteers included fourth-year student Hakeem Bombata and third-year students Evan Ji, Nail Qazi, and Osaivbie Uhunmwuangho. Several predental students also volunteered.