School of Dentistry volunteers serve adults with IDD at Noah’s House

UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry students and faculty volunteered during a community service event at Noah’s House in November.

Students and faculty from UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry provided oral health outreach to residents of Noah’s House during a community service event held in November.

The dental team delivered oral health screenings for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, commonly referred to as IDD, along with oral hygiene education, nutritional counseling, and fluoride varnish application. Caregivers at the group home also received education on oral health, nutrition, and modified oral hygiene techniques using the Brush and Bite Kit.

The Brush and Kite Kit is designed to simulate a dental office visit, allowing participants to experience dental instruments in a low-stress environment. The desensitization process helps prepare individuals with IDD for future dental appointments and promotes more positive clinical experiences.

Volunteers included dental and dental hygiene students and faculty members, as well as predental students from Houston Christian University and community volunteers.

School of Dentistry dental student volunteers included Ismail Malak, Rosa Ocampo, Victoria Okanlawon, and Zamora Yuleiman from the Class of 2027, and Basma Atta, Mariah Cho, Brandon Dinh, Trina Le, Bryan Nguyen, Kim Pham, and Osaivbie Uhunmwuangho from the Class of 2028. Sahand Naghipour, a member of the Class of 2027, represented the dental hygiene program.

Participation was coordinated by Esther Kuyinu, DDS, faculty sponsor of the Zeb F. Poindexter Chapter of the Student National Dental Association and a member of MOSAIC. Other faculty participants included Erin Potts, DDS, and Roxana Byers, DDS. The outreach, which took place Nov. 1, also involved collaboration with the School of Dentistry’s American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry Student Chapter.