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View From The Chairside

View from the Chairside: Henry Schein Back-to-School Program

By Dr. Elizabeth Vella Caruana

On August 22, 2013, Henry Schein Canada’s corporate office hosted its 8th annual Back-to-School Program for children in the Niagara Region. Families registered with Community Care of St. Catherine’s and Thorold were invited to attend this special event.

Each year, Henry Schein and sponsors organize back-to-school kits that include new clothes, shoes, hygiene products, school supplies, and snacks.

The evening consisted of children jumping around on bouncy castles, getting pictures taken with superheroes, face painting, and a free barbecue.  Fun music played in the background while families enjoyed the beautiful summer weather.

I volunteered for the third time at this event. Along with the Dental Public Health team of Niagara Region, my team and I provided free dental screenings for children. DMF scores were recorded for 94 children that visited the dental booth.

Children that require a follow-up appointment for caries treatment would receive free-of-charge dental work by local dentists under the Children in Need of Treatment Program. Further, some children qualified for preventive services (e.g. Fluoride).

In Niagara-on-the-Lake, 125 kits were handed out to children in need, ranging from 5 to 18 years old. This year, a total of 350 kits were distributed to underprivileged children across Canada. Events are also held in Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Halifax. 

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Recording DMF scores

 
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Recording DMF scores

From left Terry Grout (Henry Schein Creative Services Manager), Alexandra Rabalski, Dr. Elizabeth Vella (Cedar Springs Dental), and Peter Jugoon (Henry Schein Vice President, Marketing & Planning)

 

 

Opening up the kits!

Opening up the kits!

Pure joy!

   

 

Our sincere thanks go to Dr. Elizabeth vella Caruana from Cedar Springs Dental who shared these event pictures with us. As well, our thanks are extended to Alexandra Rabalski, our JCDA Oasis summer intern, who drafted this post. 

Have you hosted or attended any other events that you would like to share on Oasis Discussions ? Email us at jcdaoasis@cda-adc.ca

2 Comments

  1. Mark Venditti August 29, 2013

    Looks like a great event. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    1. Dr. Elizabeth Vella Caruana August 29, 2013

      Thank You Dr. Venditti. I know some kids who look forwards to the bouncy castles and BBQ. It is very well organized in Niagara on the Lake. Sears Canada contributes clothes for the boxes. It is a very nice community welcoming helping hand. Volunteers interested in helping the dental segment are encouraged to put in a smile. Henry Schein runs the Back to School program, in August, on an annual basis and it gets to be more beautiful every year.

      Reply

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