Volunteers help make Community Dental Day at STCC shine
Dr. Sue Keller, left, a volunteer at Community Dental Day, helped Springfield resident Alonzo Hardnett who came for treatment on April 27. At right is an STCC student.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The second floor clinic of Building 20 at Springfield Technical Community College was transformed into a bustling hub of oral health care as STCC hosted its sixth annual Community Dental Day.
The April 27 event, a partnership between STCC, the Valley District Dental Society and the Massachusetts Dental Society Foundation, has become a cornerstone of community engagement for both STCC students and area residents. Community Dental Day provides free and essential dental services and educational resources to individuals who might otherwise have limited access to dental care.
STCC President John B. Cook, left, stands with volunteer dentists Drs. Andrea Fallon and Michael Nardi.
“We are so lucky to have the volunteers come out and spend their Saturday with us,” said Dr. Michael Nardi, an event organizer with the Valley District Dental Society volunteer dentists.
Nardi expressed gratitude to the STCC faculty and staff for their efforts. “The backbone of this operation is the amazing team and faculty at STCC that operates the hygiene clinic, hygiene educational program and the assisting program,” he said.
STCC faculty and staff were on hand to work with the community and STCC students who took time on a spring Saturday to volunteer.
“Not only does it provide invaluable hands-on experience for our students, but it also fosters a sense of social responsibility and empathy towards underserved populations,” said Meg Loadholt, Dental Hygiene program coordinator at STCC. “I’m proud of everyone here for their hard work and commitment to improving oral health in our community."
STCC President John B. Cook stopped by Community Dental Day to thank volunteers.
Alonzo Hardnett meets with a team from McNally Brothers Oral Surgery in West Springfield.
“Each year our collaboration with the Valley District Dental Society grows, and the college could not be more happy about the success of our Community Dental Day initiative,” Cook said afterward. “This event not only underscores our two middle names; the opportunity for our students to spend time with real patients supporting oral health is powerful. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all who help make this day so meaningful.”
The Valley District Dental Society and STCC were well represented with over 75 volunteers, including general dentists, oral surgeons, periodontists, a pediatric dentist and an orthodontist, Nardi said.
Many of the doctors also had team members from their office present to volunteer their time as well.
“As a person who lives in the community, I want to give back,” said Dr. Andrea Fallon, who practices in Southampton. “This is on my calendar and I don’t plan for anything else. This is something I look forward to every year. You can see that dentists are having a lot of fun. We see colleagues we haven’t seen since last year.”
Dr. Susan Keller, a retired dentist, said she wants to help people in need in the Springfield community.
“For me personally, it’s a chance to help get care to people who can’t get care and that feels extra good,” said Keller, who was offering preventative care information.
A patient at Community Dental Day meets with a volunteer.
The MDS Foundation provided generous support for the effort. Dr. Robert Lewando, MDS Foundation chair, traveled from the Boston area to help serve the community in Springfield. Throughout the day, the waiting room outside the clinic was overflowing with people on the list to get care.
“This is a great event, and this really speaks to what people can do when they work together,” Lewando said - in between helping to triage patients. “It’s a credit to MDS. It’s a credit to all dentists, hygienists, the assistants and the front desk staff that are working voluntarily. I think it’s a credit to STCC to offer their facilities for this and to MDS Foundation because they donated a considerable amount of money to help this event succeed.”
For area residents like Alonzo Hardnett of Springfield, Community Dental Day offered a chance to get critical treatment. He needed two teeth to be extracted and said he couldn’t afford health insurance. He underwent surgery at STCC.
“From parking in the lot to getting in a chair, everybody’s been nice and accommodating. Every step of the way, someone’s been trying to guide or help. It’s been really great,” Hardnett said.
Another patient, Carter Michaels of Ludlow, stopped in to get a couple of fillings.
“I think it’s great to give students opportunities to train like this while still providing a service to the rest of the community,” Michaels said.
Dental Hygiene student David Panchenko, who serves as the Student Government Association president at STCC, kept busy during the day cleaning and responding to requests for help. “We are doing whatever we can to help out,” he said in the morning. “There will be a lot of patients today, and they need all hands on deck.”
Dr. Nardi said that by day’s end more than 85 patients received treatment with procedures such as exams, radiographs, restorations/fillings and extractions.
“We hope to expand the scope of our services in the coming years, but this spring's Community Dental Day was unequivocally a huge success in delivering dental care to our community,” he said.
Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.
About Springfield Technical Community College
STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu