Six hundred and sixty-seven local area youngsters had the opportunity to learn the rudiments of responsible oral health care during the May 7 annual Children’s Day on the Loma Linda University quadrangle, between the School of Dentistry’s Prince Hall and the University Church.
Many children boarded the School of Dentistry’s Mobile Dental Clinic and experienced a few entertaining and educational moments in either of its operatories with dental docents who included Gary Kerstetter, DDS’82, assistant professor, Dental Education Services; Wes Okumura, DDS’94, assistant professor, Pediatric Dentistry; Colleen Whitt, BS’79 (DH), MS, assistant professor, Dental Hygiene; and four, first-year pediatric residents: Ava Chung, DDS, Adi Genish, DDS, Pooyan Nasibi, DDS, and Minh-Ky Young, DDS.
Many other early brushers stopped at the LLUSD booth coordinated by Jeri Fowler, RDAEF2, OA, assistant director, Dental Alumni Association, where they were shown by dental hygiene students—the entire senior class and some juniors—how to brush teeth on a variety of stuffed animal characters.
The profession of dentistry was further represented by five dentists from Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans Medical Center VA (aka VA Loma Linda Health care System): Melanie Tongoc, DDS, Ly Nguyen, DDS, Ahmad Eltejaye, DDS, Lilley Gharavi, DDS, Ruby Nah, DDS), and Stella Suba, RDA, CDA.
The event was coordinated by Loma Linda Children’s Hospital Child Life manager, Dinah Evans, and her Child Life Assistant, Kayla Abrott.
Farmer Boys and Jamba Juice provided blood sugar and hydration for all who volunteered and attended.
