UNC dental students provide free care to children

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- The dentist can be a scary place for anyone, but students at the UNC School of Dentistry are hoping these interactions will make a difference.

"A two-year-old who was nervous coming in and leaving happy..you can't describe that feeling," said Michael Davis, a third-year dental student.

For the sixth year in a row, UNC dental students have provided about $8,000 in free dental services to students in underserved communities.

"Many of the children here today have never been to the dentist before and so the impact that dental hygiene will have, the school of medicine, nursing students and us as dental students that's something they're going to carry with them for a long time," Davis said.

But these services aren't just beneficial to the kids, the dentistry students are walking away with real-life experiences.

"They get to interact with a number of different kids from various populations and backgrounds and they learn so much not about the practice of dentistry but also how to interact with people that they may not have otherwise interacted with," said Den Scott DeRossi with the UNC School of Dentistry.

Each child and student who received dental services left with a memory and a smile too.