Dental hygiene students share healthy tips with kids
Monday, March 10, 2025
Photos by Jennifer A. Cline, writer/magazine editor
Three dental hygiene students recently learned by teaching in the Dunham Children’s Learning Center at Penn College.
As part of a Community Dental Health class project, students Leah C. Calabro, of Stewartsville, New Jersey; Jadyn M. Horner, of Waynesboro; and Hannah M. McConnell, of Beach Lake, worked with 4- and 5-year-olds at the center, teaching them about the effects of nutrition on oral health, cavities and how they occur, and brushing technique.
In the college's Children's Learning Center, dental hygiene student Leah C. Calabro introduces a small group to the day’s topic.
“We reached our goal for how much the audience retained and learned from the lesson,” Calabro said.
Community Dental Health, taught by Bridget E. Motel, assistant professor of dental hygiene, introduces the philosophy of community dental health and principles of public health programming, special dental programs, alternative dental settings, fluoridation, dental health education, epidemiology of dental disease, and the use of statistical methods and materials.
A child practices good brushing skills with the dental hygiene program’s teaching pal, Al E. Gator.
Penn College offers an associate degree and a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene.
The Children’s Learning Center serves Penn College students and employees whose children need high-quality, on-campus care and education while their parents work or attend classes. It is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
It’s a thumbs-up for fruit juice in Hannah M. McConnell’s group … and a thumbs-down for potato chips with Jadyn M. Horner.