Class of 2001 dental hygiene students  (l-r) Karen Brungardt and Julie Benner apply  sealants as Dr. Bonnie Branson, Dean Michael  Reed and Dr. Pam Overman look on.

In 1999, the School of Dentistry’s Division of Dental Hygiene’s involvement with Redemptorist Social Services Center, at 207 W. Linwood in Kansas City, MO., was limited to oral health screening and education. Now, in 2001, the dental services at Redemptorist, which is located in what was once a convent, have grown to be so much more.

The center now houses a dental clinic that provides services such as head and neck exams, oral exams and a sealant program. The clinic is assisted by students in the UMKC Division of Dental Hygiene. The center’s clients represent a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, many of whom are financially disadvantaged. All of the services at Redemptorist are offered free of charge, and every patient receives individualized care and education.

Dr. Bonnie Branson, an assistant professor in the Division of Dental Hygiene, explains that UMKC students deliver care at Redemptorist as part of the DH 4220 course curriculum. The class provides students with community field experience by taking the classroom into the community. Students in the course also work in settings other than Redemptorist; during the 2000-2001 school year, students examined 407 children throughout the Kansas City area and sealed 113 teeth of mainly third graders at Catholic schools like St. Ann’s and Our Lady of Angels.

Another of Redemptorist Center ’s programs involves providing oral health screenings and referrals to the homeless. Redemptorist also assists with the cost of follow-up dental care for patients who lack financial means.

In other instances, the staff and students at the center participate in health fairs, and they provide elderly patients with basic care. They also visit nearby elementary schools to present oral health care information.