It is probably not the first place students envision when they think of a field trip, but they were excited all the same.
Ron Brent Elementary School students have been visiting older students at the College of New Caledonia this week for a free dental cleaning and checkup.
The program is called Seal in a Smile – according to Northern Health, a partner in the initiative, this is many kids’ first experience at the dentist’s.
“For six clinical sessions we treat these students,” Lana Duncan, a CNC Dental Assisting faculty member told My PG Now. “We provide polishing, sealants, and fluoride treatments.”
Duncan called the program a real win-win, the elementary visit goes a long way for her college students who need to perform a certain number of clinical procedures before graduating.
“A lot of our students are really relying on this program to get the requirements they need to finish,” she explained. “As well, students bring in family members and friends [to work on], but they don’t get a lot of experience working on children.”
“This program is very unique to Prince George, maybe even throughout Canada,” Jas Kiran King, a Northern Health Dental Hygienist added. “I didn’t experience this as a student myself, but I know this benefits students immensely.”
“We feel very fortunate to be selected [this year],” Conrad Turner, the Principal of Ron Brent, said. “All students need some basic things in order for them to be successful in the classroom… programs like this level the playing field.”
Turner said the majority of Ron Brent’s 271 students signed up to go to the dentist.
Seal in a Smile has been running for over 20 years.
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