SUNY Canton AAS Dental Hygiene Program Receives Student Member
Community Service Award

The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) has named SUNY Canton AAS Dental Hygiene Program as a recipient of the Student Member Community Service Award. SUNY Canton was honored during the Saturday Plenary Session and ADHA Award Presentations at ADHA’s 86th Annual Session in Washington, D.C., on June 20.

This award recognizes outstanding student chapters of ADHA that have made a significant contribution to the community. At least 90 percent of an institution’s dental hygiene class must be student members of ADHA for the chapter to be eligible for consideration.

The SUNY Canton AAS Dental Hygiene Program Student Chapter was honored for their partnership with the Faxton-St. Luke Dental Residency Program, the Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency (MVCAA), and the NYS School for the Deaf in providing increased access to care to at-risk populations. Participating in the Headstart and Early Headstart programs already established by the MVCAA, the dental hygiene students provided a dental screening, a toothbrush prophy and an application of fluoride varnish to 68 children. As a follow-up to the screenings, the dental hygiene students made three visits to the Headstart centers to educate children on the importance of brushing after meals and snacks. Additionally, the dental hygiene students provided preventive dental services to 30 students from the NYS School for the Deaf. All 30 sophomore level dental hygiene students participated in this community service event spanning three months.

ADHA is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of more than 150,000 dental hygienists across the country. Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals, licensed in dental hygiene, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic services that support total health through the promotion of optimal oral health. For more information about ADHA, dental hygiene or the link between oral health and general health, visit ADHA at http://www.adha.org.

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