Back to School Brush-Up™ Breaks Records
During Roseman University's annual Back to School Brush-Up™ students treated 793 children
On August 2, 2024, the College of Dental Medicine held their 10th annual Back to School Brush-Up™. During this year’s event an incredible 793 children were treated, the most on record. This historic turnout is due, in part, to the student committee’s efforts to advertise the event in public schools, on social media, and in the news.
Through this event, students and faculty provided some of our community’s most vulnerable families with oral health screenings, coronal polishings, and fluoride placements. These patients were also given a voucher to return to Roseman and receive further care including a comprehensive oral exam, radiographs, sealants, and $100 toward other needed procedures.
The estimated value of these services is over $713,000. “That’s money that stays in the pockets of these [parents] that they can use to feed, clothe, and shelter their families,” explained Dr. Ryan Moffat, “Think of what that means for a family of four making $36,000 a year!”
Of the patients seen, 69% presented with four or more cavities, 52% had no dental home, and 40% had not been to the dentist in a year (or more). Additionally, 40% of patients reported that they were below the federal poverty level. In an email to students, Dr. Moffat remarked, “All of these statistics confirm that the children that you saw today needed and appreciated the service that you provided.”
In addition to providing needed care, the student committee hoped that the Back to School Brush-Up™ event would empower parents. “Our emphasis this year was parent education,” explained Ayah Elshaer (Class of 2026), the event’s student director. “My team and I believe that if we can educate families on their children’s oral status, we are giving them power and resources to take action and support their children’s oral health.”
They aimed to achieve this by creating a safe, fun environment where families could learn about dental care in a variety of ways including verbal instruction by a health-care provider, interactive dental games, and a take-home oral health infographic. These educational materials were provided in both English and Spanish. Ayah added, “We tried our very best [to accommodate] all languages that our Utah population speaks by assigning them to the specific teams where that language was spoken.”
Ayah also wanted to help children feel more comfortable in a dental chair. “Dental offices are known to be a scary place for both kids and adults,” she explained. “We are providing positive experiences to kids and their families in hope of establishing a dental home for them.”
In all, 406 students, 50 faculty and staff, and 2 sponsors contributed time, talents, and resources to this year’s Back to School Brush-Up™. We are especially grateful for our dedicated student committee members and the time and effort spent organizing this important event: Ayah Elshaer (Class of 2026), Tala Al Awwad (Class of 2026), Alex Amador (Class of 2026), Richelle Castro (Class of 2026), Quinten Collins (Class of 2026), Ahmad Fawaz (Class of 2026), Monique Lugo (Class of 2026), Sahar Nakhaee (Class of 2026), Ali Nayebi (Class of 2026), Justin Nguyen (Class of 2026), Michael Oh (Class of 2026), Steven Park (Class of 2026), Jonathan Parrish (Class of 2026), and Eshan Prasad (Class of 2026).
We would also like to give a special thanks to this year’s sponsors Marathon Petroleum Corporation Foundation and Treasure Tower.
“The effort it takes to provide 793 children and their families with this remarkable experience is astounding,” said Dr. Moffat. “Sincere thanks to the many people who were critical to making this effort a success.”