Lasting Impressions | Fall 2016

NSU COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE © 41 of the directorial respon- sibilities in his third year with fellow fourth-year student Kelly Cundy. Now, he is o cially running the show alongside codirector Divya Puri, another fourth- year student. And it is a show. Equal parts dental clinic and state fair, the event typically features inspirational cameos from local athletes, face painting, balloon artists, clowns, a DJ, and costumed revelers from movies like Frozen and Star Wars — all to reduce fear for the hundreds of children ages 2 to 18 who receive free dental care from CDM students every Feb- ruary. e 2017 event is scheduled for Saturday, February 4. “ ere are three ways in which people are disconnected from dental care,” Saltz said. “ ey physically can’t access it, they can’t a ord it, or they don’t understand the value of it. If we can break down at least one of these barriers for that day, we are providing a lifetime of good health for our patients. Parents greatly in uence the habits of their children, and many of our attendees have never even visited a dentist before. By allowing them to visit us in a space that’s fun and exciting, with a carnival-like atmosphere, we put some stereotypes to rest—that the dentist is scary or not a ordable. It’s a truly engaging environment for a child’s rst dental experience.” In the weeks leading up to Give Kids A Smile, a sta of 20 to 30 CDM students toils in various leadership capacities to ensure its success. For the 2017 event, Saltz and Puri interviewed 30 dental students for 15 positions. ese include recruitment chair, fund-raising chair, and to ll roles for media outreach and interprofessional care. In 2016, Give Kids A Smile added collaborations with NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine and College of Pharmacy to provide comprehensive care. “ at’s largely what our Give Kids A Smile is about— comprehensive care through education and treatment,” Saltz said. “And not just through oral hygiene. We’re try- ing to treat them at a systemic level and improve their overall wellness.” It’s no wonder that Give Kids A Smile was a major factor in the 2016 NSU STUEY (Student Life Achievement Award) that was presented to the Pediatric Dental Club, over which Puri presides. During the day of the event, all CDM students are likely to participate, from rst-year students providing oral-hygiene instructions to children and their parents to fourth-year students performing restorative procedures and extractions. Recent graduate Cundy, now in her rst year of residency in pediatric dentistry at the CDM, said she will be involved with the 2017 event as a “postgraduate liaison, overseeing and helping.” e CDM’s program has become so well respected that the American Dental Association (ADA) Foundation selected the 2016 event to serve as the national kicko for Give Kids A Smile across the country. ADA president Carol Gomez Summerhays, D.D.S., traveled from San Diego, California, to observe the CDM event. “NSU’s Give Kids A Smile event had such a great energy,” she said. “ e CDM dental students and faculty members were so thought- ful in creating a day that was fun and educational for local Children truly have been given smiles at the CDM Give Kids A Smile event.