OSU SGA partnered with Delta Dental to provide free services for students
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Media Contact: Jillian McGee | Digital Communications Specialist | 405-744-6263 | jillian.mcgee@okstate.edu
Delta Dental of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma State University Student Government Association partnered to host an event where 10 students were able to experience free dental services.
The event, which took place at the Student Union on Jan. 27, was organized by two of OSU’s dental related student organizations. The American Student Dental Association; Christian Medical and Dental Association; and OSU Pre-Professional Health and Law Support Services Office collaborated to bring the MobileSmiles to OSU.
“The MobileSmiles visit provided not only dental care to OSU students, but also gave OSU pre-dental students an opportunity to learn about community outreach, event planning and patient management the day of the event,” said Kelly Kavalier, assistant director of Pre-Professional Health and Law Support Services at OSU.
The event was so popular among students that appointment spots disappeared within a few hours of being announced and the waitlist was also filled.
“With the success of the pilot event, we hope to be able to identify additional funding opportunities to bring MobileSmiles back to campus and serve more students,” Kavalier said.
With the help of numerous dental professional volunteers, MobileSmiles has delivered dental services and education to Oklahomans since 2006.
“The Mobile Smiles visit was an eye-opening and humbling experience for pre-dental students at OSU," said Chloe Scheitzach, president of the OSU Pre-Dental Club (American Student Dental Association). "We were able to help 10 students receive free dental treatment in the mobile unit brought to campus. This was a hands-on opportunity for undergraduate student volunteers ranging from freshmen to seniors to be able to see what scheduling and patient registration at a dental office looks like. Volunteers were able to interact with the patients as they waited for their appointment and inform them of what they could expect while in the unit."
MobileSmiles is a nonprofit dental care program in Oklahoma dedicated to providing Oklahomans with the dental care they need. By being a mobile office to allow people who can't take work off to still receive care, they are eliminating barriers.
"This event was extremely beneficial for the patients that received treatment," Scheitzach said. "It was an awesome opportunity to connect with people who needed dental treatment and see what an impact students working together can make in the community. We hope many more students at Oklahoma State will get the opportunity in the future to have an appointment with Mobile Smiles."
Story By: Katie Lacey | katie.l.lacey@okstate.edu