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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
Nova Southeastern University Receives $67,000 Grant to Provide Free Dental Services to 400 Miami-Dade County Schoolchildren
FT. LAUDERDALE, Florida — Hundreds of underserved elementary school students in Miami-Dade County will receive free dental services from Nova Southeastern University (NSU).
NSU’s College of Dental Medicine announced Thursday that it will use a $67,000 grant from the Dr. John. T. Macdonald Foundation Inc. to provide dental services such as fluoride application and oral hygiene instruction to 400 second-grade students. NSU is partnering with the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine to provide the dental services.
Many of these schoolchildren are at risk for dental caries or tooth decay. This condition affects low-income and disadvantaged children significantly more than their affluent cohorts. In 2004, more than 50 percent of children without health insurance had not seen a dentist in the past year and more than one in five needed dental care but did not receive it for financial reasons, according to NSU’s College of Dental Medicine.
If left untreated, dental caries may lead to problems in eating, speaking and sleeping. Poor oral health among children has been tied to lower performance in school and poor social relationships. Children with early childhood dental pain often weigh less than other children.
“This important grant will help us fight dental caries, which is the single most common childhood disease,” said Stephen Abel, D.D.S., Associate Dean of NSU’s College of Dental Medicine (CDM). “It can be prevented or significantly minimized through services supported by the John T. Macdonald Foundation and carried out by our dental staff at NSU-CDM.”
NSU plans to begin providing the dental services this month and continue throughout the school year. The NSU-CDM program is designed to provide students with preventative oral health services at NSU’s North Miami Beach Dental Clinic.
Participating schools include Fulford Elementary, Greynolds Park Elementary and G.K. Edelman/Sabal Palm Elementary. All dental appointments are coordinated between the administrations of the schools and NSU.
Media Contact:
Ken Ma, NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5354 Office, 954-830-4177 Cell, kennma@nova.edu