Second-year dental student Tony Morlandt paints a dental sealant on 8-year-old Natasha Mireles' teeth.
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“Are you afraid of the dentist?” a dental student from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio asks a second-grade boy from Edgewood Independent School District as they leave the exam room. “Not anymore,” he replies.

The boy is one of 760 second-graders who received free dental sealant service from second-, third- and fourth-year dental students at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dental students put in two full days on Feb. 4 and 11 to make sure that the six Edgewood ISD elementary schools received proper care.

“It’s a program that we started four years ago,” said Gary Guest, D.D.S., director of predoctoral clinics in the Dental School. “The earlier children start taking care of their teeth, the less oral health care problems they will have later in life.”

The Health Science Center, in partnership with Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, has provided close to 5,000 dental sealants in the past three years, Dr. Guest said.

“Studies have continuously shown that, over time, the pit and fissures in the back teeth become the most decayed. The sealants have proven to be a successful way of preventing this. In five years, almost 75 percent of the sealant on the teeth will still be there and in 10 years, approximately 50 percent.”

Methodist Healthcare Ministries has been part of the dental sealant program through its sponsorship of the dental sealants and by providing other items needed for the program to benefit students.

“With the Health Science Center providing the manpower and Methodist Healthcare Ministries providing the consumables, there is a lot of support for the dental sealant program,” Dr. Guest said.

Julia Garcia, R.N., director of health services in Edgewood ISD, said not only does the program help the students understand the importance of good dental hygiene, it shows them the importance of higher education.

Leticia Mireles accompanied her 8-year-old daughter, Natasha, to the visit.
“It teaches them the proper way to take care of their teeth,” she said.

More than 700 students were seen on the two days.