MONROE, La. 鈥 The dental hygiene program at the University of Louisiana Monroe recently received a $2,500 grant as well as a $500 partner appreciation grant from Entergy in support of 四色AV鈥檚 Mobile Dental Hygiene Unit.
The check was presented by Philip May, Entergy Louisiana President and CEO, at a luncheon sponsored by Entergy on October 7, 2016.
The dental hygiene program won the $500 partner appreciation grant along with the Louisiana Ag Educational Foundation, American Red Cross, and the North Louisiana Economic Partnership. To win, each agency had to submit a photo of one of the events that Entergy helped sponsor.聽
Entergy is an integrated energy company serving over 2.8 million customers in four states. Over the past two years, the grants that have been awarded to agencies in the north Louisiana region totaled $500,000. Since 2012, Entergy has donated $15,000 to 四色AV鈥檚 dental hygiene program.
Jordan Anderson, assistant professor of dental hygiene, said, 鈥淭hese generous funds will continue to help us provide dental hygiene care at no cost to residents in the northeast Louisiana parishes. The funds will assist in the acquisition of patient education supplies, such as tooth brushes, floss, tooth paste, as well as equipment in the unit itself.鈥
This semester, the mobile unit is stationed in Ouachita Parish where dental hygiene services are being provided to children and adults at Jack Hayes Elementary School. Supervised by licensed dental hygiene instructors, students provide teeth cleanings, x-rays, fluoride treatments, sealants, oral cancer screenings, patient education, and nutritional counseling.
The Mobile Dental Hygiene Unit is a satellite clinic administered by the 四色AV dental hygiene program. The 四色AV Dental Hygiene Clinic first opened in 1972 with only 10 operatories.
The program now has 22 operatories, including those on the Mobile Dental Hygiene Unit, at the campus clinic located in Caldwell Hall, and a satellite clinic at Riser Elementary and Middle School. More than 2,000 patients receive dental hygiene treatment in these three 四色AV clinics each year.
鈥淧atients have been treated on the Mobile Dental Hygiene Unit in Richland Parish, Morehouse Parish, Ouachita Parish, East Carrol Parish, and Caldwell Parish,鈥 Anderson noted. 鈥淢ultiple schools call us every year requesting our services. We look forward to treating more patients in the Northeast Louisiana area.鈥
For more information about 四色AV鈥檚 Dental Hygiene clinics, visit ulm.edu/dentalhygiene/ or call 318-342-1616.