Providencia Elementary students get a helpful lesson in dentistry

The majority of the 400 students who attend Providencia Elementary School in Burbank received a free dental examination Wednesday as part of Kids’ Community Dental Clinic’s annual outreach to offer free care to local students.

Nationally, about 27% of children currently have unaddressed decay in their mouths, said Dale Gorman, executive director of Kids’ Community Dental Clinic. For that reason, the American Dental Assn. encourages clinics like hers to bring awareness to cavity prevention.

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Providencia Elementary School first grader Amy Huaman practices brushing her teeth during a visit by the Kids Community Dental Clinic to her school, in Burbank on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. The free clinic offered free dental check ups for 450 students, all provided by West L.A. College Dental Hygiene students and three volunteer dentists.  (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Local dentist and volunteer Dr. Richard Marias checks on the health of Providencia Elementary School student’s teeth during a visit by the Kids Community Dental Clinic to the school, in Burbank on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. The free clinic offered free dental check ups for 450 students, all provided by West L.A. College Dental Hygiene students and three volunteer dentists.  (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Providencia Elementary School first grader Seth Malapote gets his teeth checked during a visit by the Kids Community Dental Clinic to his school, in Burbank on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. The free clinic offered free dental check ups for 450 students, all provided by West L.A. College Dental Hygiene students and three volunteer dentists.  (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Providencia Elementary School first grader Amy Huaman gets fluoride applied to her teeth during a visit by the Kids Community Dental Clinic to her school, in Burbank on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. The free clinic offered free dental check ups for 450 students, all provided by West L.A. College Dental Hygiene students and three volunteer dentists.  (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Tanya Altukhov, Kids Community Dental Clinic volunteer and dental hygiene student at W.L.A. College, applies fluoride to a Providencia Elementary School student’s teeth during a visit by the clinic to the school, in Burbank on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. The free clinic offered free dental check ups for 450 students, all provided by West L.A. College Dental Hygiene students and three volunteer dentists.  (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Kids Community Dental Clinic volunteers from the West L.A. College Dental Hygiene program, including Jade Patschull, center, teach Providencia Elementary School students how to properly brush their teeth during a visit to the school, in Burbank on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. The free clinic offered free dental check ups for 450 students, all provided by West L.A. College Dental Hygiene students and three volunteer dentists.  (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

In California, she said, the rate of kids who have decay is usually higher because of the sugary foods that children eat.

“A lot of people don’t understand it’s preventable,” Gorman said.

Three volunteer dentists and 30 dental students worked at several stations in the cafeteria at Providencia to teach students how to brush their teeth, examine them for any decay or infections, give them a fluoride treatment and encourage them to floss.

School administrators also planned to follow up with students’ parents to notify them if any students need to address cavities or infections.

Providencia Principal Jen Culbertson said she was pleased to see her students experiencing a friendly dental atmosphere with their classmates in a routine setting.

“This is an area that they’re familiar with. The fact that they’re coming in with their teacher, coming in with their classmates … They don’t seem too scared,” she said.

First-grader Sam Hollis, who learned about the importance of flossing his teeth, particularly after eating sweet foods like ice cream, confirmed what Culbertson had observed in the fearless students.

“I’m not nervous,” he said.

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Kelly Corrigan, [email protected]

Twitter: @kellymcorrigan