Cambrian Dental Hygiene Students Walk For a Smile

By Angela Gemmill

Over 100 students from Cambrian College’s Dental Hygiene and Assisting programs walked a loop around the school this afternoon.

Walk for a Smile raises money to purchase preventative oral health care supplies for the Sudbury Corner Clinic, attached to the downtown Samaritan Centre, as well as St Gabriel’s Villa, a long-term care home, in Chelmsford.

According to Third Year Dental Hygiene student, Andrea Cross, all students in the program must do placements at these two sites.

She calls the experience eye-opening and rather sad, which prompted the students to want to help.

Cross says many of their clients, particularly those who are homeless, have other daily challenges they put first before oral health.

That leaves them with poor oral hygiene and sometimes rampant cavities throughout their mouth, likely causing a lot of pain.

The goal for Walk for a Smile is to raise $3,000.

Donations can be made through the Cambrian College Foundation website: here

Cross says that will purchase toothpaste, toothbrushes and other oral hygiene needs.

The walk began with a rally at the school, then the participants walked a five kilometres loop around the school’s Barrydowne campus.

(Picture: Students from the Dental Hygiene program at Cambrian College; Walk For A Smile 2015)