School of Dentistry Community Outreach Recognized by Los Angeles City Council
Councilmember Richard Alarcón lauds oral health services for underserved children, promotes Give Kids a Smile Day
2/5/09
On January 30, the USC School of Dentistry, along
with the Los Angeles Dental Society and Meet Each Need with Dignity
(MEND), was honored by Los Angeles City Councilmember Richard Alarcón
for the community service the school provides, especially for the
city’s underprivileged kids.
Alarcón
introduced a resolution announcing February 6 as Give Kids a Smile Day
and named the month of February as Children’s Dental Health Month. He
said that all of the organizations provide valuable dental services to
people throughout Los Angeles, and noted that the USC School of
Dentistry plans to offer education, screenings and treatment to
students at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary on Give Kids a Smile Day.
“A cornerstone of the USC School of Dentistry's
mission is addressing the glaring disparities in the oral health of
Americans, including for children,” Alarcón said. “The school is also
engaged in a variety of programs designed to raise awareness regarding
oral health disparities and to encourage young students from under
represented minorities to consider careers in the oral health
professions.”
Roseann Mulligan,
associate dean for Community Health Programs, represented the School of
Dentistry and spoke about the devastating effects of a lack of
children’s oral health care as well as the need to protect safety net
programs from California’s budget problems. Assistant professor Julie
Jenks and DDS 2010 student Ray Klein accompanied her as she addressed
the council.
“We desperately
need more attention focused on children’s oral health. As many as one
third of low income kids in California have untreated oral decay,”
Mulligan said. “This budget crisis has put children’s oral health in
danger.”
