Harcum College to offer sealants in connection with MLK Day

The dental hygiene program at Harcum College will offer free oral examinations, sealants, fluoride treatments, and health-care instructions for children ages 6-13 at its Sealant Monday event. In conjunction with Martin Luther King Day of Service, the event will be hosted on Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, at the Cohen Dental Center on Harcum’s Bryn Mawr campus.

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This is the ninth year of the free program, in which registered dental hygienists, area dentists, and Harcum dental hygiene students provide free dental hygiene services to registered children. Co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Dental Hygienists’ Association, Sealant Monday aims to prevent future tooth decay and cavities in children, as well as aid in overall oral health and help children, families and the community learn the value of oral care in overall health and wellness.

“The students and faculty of Harcum’s Dental Hygiene Program are committed to promoting good oral health to parents and children, particularly in the local area,” said Jean Byrnes-Ziegler, director of dental hygiene program at Harcum. “Sealant Monday is an important initiative for us to not only advance the clinical experience for our students, but also provide a much-needed resource for the community.”

Locally, it is estimated that 40 percent of Pennsylvanians lack dental insurance.

Harcum College, one of Pennsylvania’s first independent, two-year colleges, was founded in Bryn Mawr, PA in 1915 and was the first college in Pennsylvania chartered by the state to grant associate degrees. Harcum offers fully accredited, career-ready majors in nursing, the allied health professions, business and social sciences on campus, online, and regionally, as well as lifelong learning programs and corporate training.