Community and Preventive Dentistry Program
The following represents a few of the highlights from the annual Community and Preventive Dentistry calendar:
SIU School of Dental Medicine’s Give Kids a Smile Day
2025 Give Kids A Smile Day at the SIU School of Dental Medicine is scheduled for October 13, 2025!
2024 Give Kids A Smile Day Brightens 190 Smiles on Little Faces
Last year, SIU SDM Provided $113,530 of Free Dentistry to Alton-area Children
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The Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Dental Medicine (SDM) in Alton once again opened its doors to the community on Monday, Oct. 14, for its annual Give Kids a Smile Day (GKAS) clinic, offering free dental care to children in need over the October school holiday. The clinic served 190 children, 40 more than last year, and provided $113,530 worth of dentistry to the community, according to Katie Kosten, DMD, director of Community Dentistry in the SIU SDM. Watch patients interact with the Tooth Fairy and dental students.
In attendance were SIUE Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD, and SIU SDM Dean Saulius Drukteinis, DMD, PhD, who interacted with families and shared the importance of the event. Minor acknowledged the dental students who performed the dental work, which ranged from cleanings and fillings to extractions and imaging.
“I spend a lot of time thanking our students for doing this and underscoring how important it is, not only to the community, but how important it is to the culture of this dental school to be community-oriented,” said Minor.
Minor enjoyed talking with the patients and parents, and discovering that most of the referrals came from the children’s school.
“The highlight is talking to the parents who found this clinic,” said Minor. “They were referred here from their child’s school because they know it is a reliable resource. It’s really a source of pride for us to be able to serve people in our community this way.”
Drukteinis agreed with the chancellor’s sentiment, explaining the impact of making dental care accessible and fostering early relationships with kids.
“Dentistry is intimidating in the sense that families are afraid of the cost of dental care, as well as dental treatment,” said Drukteinis. “We try to create early relationships with the kids by making it a fun opportunity to interface with dentists. Kids receive treatment they need and also learn about oral health and disease prevention.”
The SIU SDM campus gym was transformed into an exciting waiting room for the first-time patients, with The Tooth Fairy present, assisting children during registration. Kids danced to music, played with balloon animals, and experimented with arts and crafts while they waited for their turn in the dentist chair. Exhibits and resources for proper car seat installation, healthy eating habits and oral wellness were available for parents and curious kids.
The gym did not house a single frown. Kids were excited to be at the GKAS day, running around showing off their beaming new smiles. Madison Green of Alton brought her three-year-old son, Kingston, for an appointment.
“Big fun,” exclaimed Kingston, proudly displaying his freshly cleaned smile.
Danni Williams of East Alton brought her children Elijah, 5, and Jaylei, 12. While Elijah received a cleaning, Jaylei had a tooth pulled.
When asked if it hurt, Jaylei shook her head and said, “Not one bit.”
“It’s good for the kids, otherwise we’d have to wait a year to get into their regular dentist,” said Williams.
Attesting to the long wait for pediatric dentistry was fellow parent Taylor Phillips, also from East Alton. Phillips brought her three children, Riley, 9, Aleah, 5, and Kyah, 4.
“This is a good option because it takes eight months to a year just to get an appointment,” said Phillips.
For most of the families, this is the fastest way to receive quality, comprehensive care for their children’s dental needs. The clinic registered 250 appointments this year and maintained a wait list, reflecting demand for the free service provided by SIU SDM students and overseeing faculty. Not only does GKAS provide this essential resource for the community, it also proves to be a day of fun during the October school holiday.
Give Kids A Smile Day is by appointment only, and returns to SIU SDM on October 13, 2025.
SIU School of Dental Medicine’s Veterans Dental Care Day
2025 Veterans Dental Care Day at the SIU School of Dental Medicine is scheduled for November 13, 2025!
2024 Veterans Dental Care Day at the SIU School of Dental Medicine Provided More than $40k in Community Dental Care for Area Veterans
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Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) proudly supported 84 veterans last week with their annual Veterans Dental Care Day, which offered free services provided to local area veterans on Thursday, Nov. 14. Dental care included cleanings, fillings, extractions and imaging, free of charge. According to Katie Kosten, DMD, director of Community Dentistry in the SIU SDM, the total value of community care was $43,479.
As the patients filed in, many began sharing stories with each other. The festively decorated SDM welcomed the veterans with sweet treats, a spray of balloons and warm smiles that greeted them. While they waited for their appointed turn in the dental chair, stories were swapped like baseball cards. Bob Hope performing on a battleship turret, chants from the USMC, taps every night at ten— a few years ago for some, a faraway place for others.
“We had the fastest battleship of all at 35.2 knots and 108 feet wide,” said Jack
Nothdurft, former machinist mate who served on the USS New Jersey from 1968-1969, during the height of the Vietnam War. Nothdurft cracked his freshly polished smile and eagerly spoke about his time on the infamous vessel.
“When your head came through the scuttle, it’s turning water six feet above the main deck. We did full power runs, with no breakdown of equipment. The mess hall trays would rattle and you’d just hear a rumble.”
Nothdurft attended the Veterans Care Day at the SDM last year, too. The incentive for cutting-edge care from the school’s developing dentists and their distinguished faculty is enough for him to make the drive for the clinic, but perhaps it’s something closer to heart as to why he enjoys the amenity.
“My grandson went to SIUE and is an electrical engineer, and my granddaughter is working on her masters there in biochemistry,” said a delighted Nothdurft.
SIU SDM Dean Saulius Drukteinis, DMD, PhD, spoke of the School’s continued commitment to serving community veterans, as many do not have comprehensive dental benefits and are without a routine provider.
“We’re so proud of our team for being a part of this important event to honor our veterans and facilitate care for these men and women who have served our country,” said Drukteinis.
This event marked the seventh annual Veterans Dental Care Day for the SDM. Veterans Dental Care Day is by appointment only, and returns to SIU SDM on November 13, 2025.
National Children's Dental Health Month (throughout the month of February)
SIU SDM Promotes Dental Health for Children during National Children's Dental Health Month
Throughout the month, third- and fourth-year SDM students engage with hundreds of children and teachers through interactive activities and games, as well as oral health screenings, in cooperation with several area schools. Oral health activities teach children about proper dental hygiene, tooth decay prevention, healthy diet and nutrition, oral/systemic connections, and more. Teachers and children travel to the SDM’s Alton campus to enjoy the educational activities and receive a dental screening.
“We are grateful for the teachers who make it a priority for their students to experience oral health education during National Children’s Dental Health Month,” said SIU SDM Director of Community Dentistry Katie Kosten, DMD. “We have a huge appreciation for the efforts of the teachers and for the SIU SDM’s community partners. One of the most important relationships we have is with our area teachers.”
“We know that oral health education is important, and in order to get the message out, we have to start early,” Kosten added. “We continue to work to make our programs better every year, so that we can continue to be of service to our community. We look forward to continued relationships with schools, community groups, and community stakeholders in order to make a positive impact on oral and overall health."
Additional Community Dentistry programs hosted throughout the year:
Madison County Oral Health Education Program
Our students are actively engaged in outreach activities including providing oral health promotion at elementary, middle and high schools in Madison County. As part of the Clinical Community Dentistry course, Year III and IV students work in teams, which generally consist of 2 students. Each team is assigned to classes at a Madison County elementary school, middle school and high school. Student teams conduct a needs assessment at each school, after meeting with school administrators and the school nurse. They then make age-appropriate oral health presentations to each class in elementary and middle schools twice per semester and to high school classes once per semester.
As the dental students graduate from year III to year IV, they move with the public school students; i.e., if they were assigned to grade 3 in their Year III, they move to grade 4 in their year IV. At the end of year IV, students write a service-learning paper describing their experiences at public schools and the impact they have made on the students.
Oral screenings and oral health education in the community
Another component of the Clinical Community Dentistry program involves student participation in oral screenings and oral health education in our community. Year III and Year IV students actively participate in local health fairs and provide oral cancer screenings at various venues, including sites in East St. Louis and Senior Services Plus locations. Students make oral health presentations to mothers in a local Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program, parents of kids in the Riverbend Head Start Program, and provide screenings and education to the children at the Madison County Youth Detention Home.
Special Needs Patient Care
Year III students get didactic instruction and clinical experience in special needs patient management and/or care. Each student’s clinical experience consists of rotations through our Special needs Clinic and another off-site experience. We provide screenings at the William Bedell Centers for children and adults every year. We also provide screenings for the athletes at the Area 12 Special Olympics games in Edwardsville every year. In addition, our students work at a residential facility for people with developmental disabilities- Beverly Farms, under Dr. Scott Wolter's supervision.
Geriatric Dentistry
Year IV students receive didactic instruction and clinical experience in managing elderly patients living independently in the community as well as those in assisted living institutions or nursing homes. Our students provide annual screenings for the residents of our local nursing home- Eunice Smith. Each student also provides in-service training to our local nursing home staff and a presentation on a relevant topic to elderly people in our community.
