Migrant children get dental care at MTC

(Bradenton, FL—December 13, 2016)   Migrant and farmworker students received free dental care at the Manatee Technical College East Campus on December 9.  Local dentists, hygienists and MTC dental assisting students provided care to 44 students, who have limited access to routine dental care.

The project, known as the Passport to Wellness Dental Project, is a joint project of Manatee Technical College dental assisting and farmworker career development programs and the school nurses of the School District of Manatee County.  Tropicana Products, Inc., sponsored the event.

 The MTC students are active in HOSA, SkillsUSA, and the MTC Student Chapter of the American Dental Assistants Association.  The Passport to Wellness Dental Project is a community-service / service-learning project for these students.

PHOTOS:  Linda Galicia (left) and Jessica Cummings, dental assisting students at Manatee Technical College, provide dental care to a migrant child during a Passport to Wellness Dental Project at MTC on December 9.  The students worked under the direct supervision of local dentists to provide pediatric teeth polishing, radiographs, fluoride treatments, and oral health screenings.  The MTC students provided the services as a community service project.

Left to right: Kim Bland, dental assisting program coordinator at Manatee Technical College; Esperanza Gamboa, MTC farmworker career development coordinator; Gerri Hernandez, MTC dental assisting instructor; and Cheryl Stuart, school nurse at McNeal Elementary.

Dental hygienist Stephanie Troxler provides a teeth cleaning to a farmworker student at Manatee Technical College.  Local dentists and hygienists volunteered their time to help farmworker and migrant students who have limited access to dental care. Working with MTC dental assisting students, they provided help to 44 migrant and farmworker students.