College of Dental Medicine - Illinois (CDMI) faculty Larry Williams, D.D.S., M.P.H., Professor, CDMI; August Durso, D.D.S., Assistant Professor, CDMI, and CDMI dental student William Boensch (CDMI ’27) provided dental information, shared resources, and answered questions from senior citizens at the Senior Fair in Lemont, Illinois. The Senior Fair was hosted by Illinois Senator John Curran and State Representative Nicole La Ha at the CORE Fitness Center in Lemont, and featured the participation of 75 service providers and local organizations. “We actually did get to speak with both the senator and the state representative and thank them for inviting us to participate,” Dr. Durso said.
William Boensch (CDMI ’27) added, “What I’ll take away most from this Senior Health Fair is the conversations I was able to have with the seniors. As a dentist, one of your roles is to communicate with your patients. I was able to practice my communication skills with those who I interacted with in order to better prepare myself for my future patients.”
“The fair was a great resource for the senior community. We were one of over 70 participants providing information on everything from blood pressure, screening, utility questions, nutrition, and safety in the home,” Dr. Durso stated. “We've participated for the last two years, providing various information about the dental health and services provided at the Midwestern University Dental Institute. There were even questions from people about their own dental conditions.” The Dental Institute provides care to the community from student dentists under the supervision of licensed dental faculty and offers several services including general dentistry, dental restorations, and oral surgery.
Throughout the day the conversations with the senior citizens began with inquiries from the dentists and student dentist. “We would ask them if they were actually seeing a dentist at this time to make sure that they were taking good care of their oral health,” Dr. Durso said. Dr. Williams elaborated, “It was surprising to some of the people that we're talking about systemic health. We're talking about how things are so much better for your body if you take good care of your mouth.” Dr. Williams continued and stated that they also talked to the participants about the amount of sugar in milkshakes, sodas, with a visual aid of sugar cubes. They advised the attendees about avoiding a sedentary lifestyle and the importance of regular exercise, Dr. Williams said and added that they also gave supplemental advice to attendees who cannot be active due to health and disabilities. He reflected on the experience, “It was very evident that there was a need for us to be there.”
After visiting the Midwestern University table, attendees received bags that contained dental floss, toothpaste, a toothbrush, and a brochure with information about services and scheduling appointments at the Midwestern University Dental Institute. Commonly asked questions from the attendees included treatment costs, insurance acceptance and coverage of treatment, and nutrition questions, Dr. Durso said. They also provided information about nutrition, healthy food, and food with hidden sugar, Dr. Durso shared.
Dr. Williams and Dr. Durso also discussed the importance of students participating in volunteer work during their academic journeys.
“It’s extremely important to expose students to community service and volunteer. They need to understand there’s a need out there and they have to go where the people are,” Dr. Williams said.
Dr. Durso echoed, “They have to be able to communicate with people and tell them why they’re proposing treatment. It'll give the students the confidence and the knowledge that as a dentist, they can have an impact on the health of their chosen community just by providing this information and being there to answer the questions of the people that are coming,” he said. Dr. Durso continued, “They need to get out there in the community, go to schools, go to these health fairs, and go on a mission trip or two and just kind of meet these people and see what the needs are. It's hard to treat people if you don't know what they actually need.”
As a dental student, William concurred and reflected, “The main way in which volunteer work adds future healthcare experience is from the communication aspect. It can take some time to effectively converse with someone, but with practice, it gets easier. Volunteering will help you practice those basic communication skills that are needed when attending to your patients.”
Volunteer events such as providing information about dental medicine, oral health, clinic services, and a variety of other topics are among the ways Midwestern University faculty and students share their healthcare expertise and help the community manage their healthcare and seek treatment when necessary. A plethora of healthcare services are available for the community to receive the care they need at the Midwestern University Clinics.