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Free dental screenings were conducted by volunteer oral health professionals in the Illinois Department of Public Health Wellness on Wheels mobile health van at the Illinois State Fair last week.

Fourth-year SIU School of Dental Medicine students Mark Hobbie and Vance Knauer, alongside Dr. Poonam Jain, director of community and preventative dentistry, were among those who volunteered on Friday, Aug. 15.

Annual dental visits are important for good oral hygiene and care, and also required by Illinois law for kindergartners, second graders and sixth graders. The free exams conducted by SIU students counted as the state required exams for the children.

The dental exams included checking a child’s lips, feeling the soft tissues and checking the physical conditions of their teeth and gums. Oral health professionals determined whether tooth eruption and loss was on schedule according to developmental guidelines. They also observed tooth abnormalities, plaque and tooth decay.

Two dental professionals were present during SIU’s screenings. Dr. David Miller, chief of the division of oral health within the Illinois Department of Public Health, and SIU alumnae Dr. Samantha Arnold frequented the tent to help Hobbie and Knauer with their screenings.

“Dr. Arnold served as a great role model for our students,” said Jain. “Both Mark and Vance enjoyed the opportunity to learn from the experience at the State Fair.”

The SIU School of Dental Medicine students manage approximately 35,000 patient visits each year at its patient clinics in Alton and East St. Louis. In addition, students offer oral health treatment, screenings and education to more than 10,000 people annually through a wide variety of off-campus community outreach events. These opportunities provide students the training they need to graduate and become highly skilled dentists. The School of Dental Medicine is a vital oral health care provider for residents of southern and central Illinois, and the St. Louis metropolitan region.