Health Science Center dental students try to make 7-year-old Sarah Piña feel comfortable as she receives dental work for the first time.
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Health Science Center second-, third- and fourth-year dental students provided free dental sealants for hundreds of second- and third-graders from Edgewood Independent School District.

The Edgewood ISD students, brought on buses to the Health Science Center Feb. 3 and Feb. 10, participated in the dental program that was started four years ago to teach children early in life to take care of their teeth. Statistics show that the earlier children learn about proper dental hygiene, the less oral health care problems they will have in the future.

The Health Science Center, in partnership with Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, has provided several thousand dental sealants in the past four years, said Gary Guest, D.D.S., director of predoctoral clinics in the Dental School.

“The sealants have proven to be a successful way of preventing decay in the back teeth,” Dr. Guest said. “In five years almost 75 percent of the sealant on the teeth will still be there and in 10 years approximately 50 percent.”

Connie Biache, mother of 7-year-old Sarah Piña, accompanied her daughter to the visit.

“I took the day off from work because I knew Sarah was nervous,” Biache said. “This was her first time to ever go to the dentist.”

This story is true of many students from Edgewood ISD.

“I’m just thankful that she is able to take part in this,” Biache said.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries has sponsored the dental sealants and provided other items needed to benefit students who take part in the program each year. Through the collaborative efforts between Methodist Healthcare Ministries and the Health Science Center, the program has been a great success.