SUNY Canton Dental Hygiene Program Awarded $5,000 Community Service Grant

CANTON, NY (02/01/2016)(readMedia)-- The American Dental Hygienists Association has awarded SUNY Canton's Dental Hygiene Program the 2015-2016 Wrigley Company Foundation Community Service grant that will allow students to help promote dental health in the Rome, N.Y., area.

The $5,000 grant will fund the project "Seal a Smile," which will provide more than 200 children with preventive dental services, such as sealants and fluoride treatments. Pamela P. Quinn, curriculum coordinator of SUNY Canton's Dental Hygiene program explained, "The children will also learn the basics of brushing, flossing and making healthy food choices. This project is important for the Rome community, which has a large population who have limited access to dental care."

Seal a Smile will benefit second-grade children in two Rome elementary schools. The project also helps students in the Dental Hygiene program better understand how to work with children and adds to their overall hands-on education.

Quinn added that the cost of sealants in private practice can cost families approximately $40 per tooth, so this free service can save families hundreds of dollars on dental care.

Two of the program's adjunct instructors are assisting with the project. Lindsay Argyle is the project manager, and Kasey Penoyer is working as a community health instructor.

Seal a Smile is one of many outreach initiatives the Dental Hygiene program has spearheaded during the past several years. These efforts have earned four prestigious American Dental Hygienists Student Member Community Service Awards.

About SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management and public service and recently received number one rankings in library resources, library services and tutoring services in the SUNY Student Opinion Survey. The college's faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as ten exclusively online bachelor's degrees. The college's 14 athletic teams compete as members of the NCAA Division III.

-www.canton.edu-