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Dentists provide free care
By kristine Gill
youngstown
Volney Rogers eighth-grader Timothy Boerio flinched a few times as three pairs of hands worked to fill two cavities in his mouth.
“Wider, wider, wider,” said Dr. Sheffali Sheth-Nadler. “Put that chin toward the sky.”
On Thursday and Friday, students from Choffin Career & Technical Center and Youngstown State University’s Dental Hygiene Clinic teamed up with volunteer dentists to provide free care to dozens of students in Youngstown city schools.
The national program called Give Kids a Smile takes place annually on the first Friday of February through the American Dental Association. Volunteer dentists have provided more than $200,000 in free care since Ohio began participating in 2003.
“A lot of them have not been to the dentist,” said Dr. Sergio Nadler, Dr. Sheth-Nadler’s husband. The two own Modern Dental Concepts with offices in Warren and Champion. “There are some that don’t know where to go and don’t have insurance.”
Some of the students had cavities filled and teeth pulled. Others received fluoride treatments and sealants as preventive measures.
“Until it hurts, they just don’t address the issue,” said Dr. Nadler, who saw some patients Friday with advanced decay and baby teeth that never fell out. “There’s definitely a need. The majority of kids have not had proper care or continuous care.”
Danielle Campbell will graduate from Choffin’s dental assisting program in June and said the clinic provides the kind of hands-on work necessary for students.
“One kid today didn’t like needles,” said the Boardman resident. “We calmed her down, got her laughing. Talked about the Steelers.”
The visit was a success for Boerio, who went back to school with a new toothbrush.
“He said he’d never been to the dentist and I wanted it to be an excellent experience,” Dr. Sheth-Nadler said. “I didn’t want to scare him.”