On July 8 volunteers from the UConn School of Dental Medicine performed free dental and oral health screenings for the child campers at Camp Courant. UConn’s dental school has been sharing their dentistry expertise with the historic camp since the 1990s.

The free screenings of more than 300 children were led once again by Dr. Deborah Redford-Badwal, associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Dentistry at UConn School of Dental Medicine and dental hygienist, Lurlene Williams along with other volunteer dental residents and staff. The tradition builds upon the work of a volunteering periodontist, Michael Perl, who first started the free screenings.

“Oral disease is rampant,” says Redford-Badwal. “Dental cavities are the single most common childhood disease in the nation, and are five-times more common than asthma.”

In fact, according to Redford-Badwal three times more children are in need of dental services than medical services. Also, for an estimated nearly 5 million children tooth decay can be severe enough to interfere with daily eating and other activities, especially for those in inner cities who may be more likely impacted.

“For all children we want to ensure that their oral needs are examined and assessed annually and to alert parents of any of their children’s dental needs,” says Redford-Badwal. “If we see something at Camp Courant that would require immediate dental attention we alert the camp’s nurse who personally contact’s the parent with our findings and recommendation.”

Hartford’s historic Camp Courant is the largest free summer camp in the nation and has been in existence for more than 120 years. It was founded by employees of the newspaper who wanted to make a difference for the children of the city. It now serves more than 1,000 campers every summer for six weeks.

“It feels great to help give back while also raising awareness of the importance of dental health that may be a gift of a lifetime to avoid future dental issues,” says Redford-Badwal.

She adds: “To all the campers out there both young and old, don’t forget to brush twice a day, remember to floss, and visit your dentist regularly to keep smiling bright.”

To learn more about the Division of Pediatric Dentistry at UConn School of Dental Medicine, visit here.