EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Elementary-school children in El Paso received free dental services and education on how to maintain their oral health this week.
The Nusenda Sun City Smiles Day, hosted by the Hunt School of Dental Medicine and Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic, is an initiative sponsored by the Nusenda Foundation.
The event was held on Thursday, April 10, at the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic, located at 222 Rick Francis St.
According to Texas Tech, children from Ysleta Independent School District’s Ramona STEM Academy, Riverside Elementary School and Capistrano Elementary School participated in the event by receiving basic dental services.
In addition to their checkups, the students also visited informational tables for oral health education, including interactive activities such as Revealing the Sugar Bugs, How to Brush Properly, and Making Healthy Food Choices, Texas Tech said.
According to Texas Tech, studies show that an upward of 51 million hours of classroom time are lost annually in the U.S. due to largely preventable oral health conditions, especially in underserved communities along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Additionally, the Hunt School of Dental Medicine and the Nusenda Foundation announced a $15,000 grant that will continue to support this initiative.
The Nusenda Foundation is a nonprofit organization of Nusenda Credit Union and aims to “enhance the education, health, social and economic conditions of the communities its members live in,” according to Texas Tech.
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