By Judith Roberts
Forty-five third graders from Ruston Elementary received an opportunity to learn about good dental hygiene and received a cleaning through Johnston & Murphy Dental Care’s fifth annual Give a Kid a Smile Day.
While the staff at Johnston & Murphy organized and hosted the event, other community partners, including the Louisiana Tech Pre-Dental Club and members of the football team, Northern Louisiana Medical Center and the Lincoln Rotary, also pitched in to make the day an exciting one for the students.
“They have been counting down to this day,” said RES principal Stephanie Griffin. “They came to school excited and ready to go. They already had their bus buddy lined up and who they were going to work with. It has been a very exciting day.”
Students were chosen based on teacher requests, student requests, and need to allow them to be exposed to the availability of services in town.
“They learn the basics of caring for their mouth, brushing, flossing, proper techniques – those things,” said David Murphy, co-owner and dentist at Johnston & Murphy. “They learn about good nutritional choices, and they get a set of X-rays if we get them and a dental cleaning. It’s a big day and a lot packed in to four hours.”
Co-owner and dentist Lamar Johnston said his favorite part of the day is seeing the kids’ faces at the event.
“They’re remarkable,” Johnston said. “They’re so smart, they’re so receptive, and just seeing their faces, and watching them absorb what we tell them. I love it.”
An event with more than 50 volunteers and nearly that many participants can’t happen without proper logistics, which is where Amanda DeMoss, Johnston & Murphy marketing director, steps in.
“Even though we serve people every day, all day, this is something special,” DeMoss said. “These kids can go home and teach their sibling something they learned here today.”
DeMoss said dental decay is the number one childhood illness in the country – and it’s preventable.
“If we teach them at a young age how to take care of their teeth, whether by brushing or flossing and eating good things, and educating them, it could help prevent illness,” she said. “And I get to see how the staff executes this vision. This whole staff has servants’ hearts, and the community is really important to us.”
And while the morning was full of music, balloons, fun activities, and even a dental mascot, real work was accomplished in educating – and even overcoming fears.
“We had a student who attended today, and he has gone to the dentist, but he’s never sat in the chair,” Griffin said. “Today he was able to sit in the chair and half a full X-ray, and he made it work. His peers were there with him, and he was able to overcome his fears. He was able to get the full experience.”
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