02.16.2010 – As part of a new partnership with Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HW-SC), dentists and hygienists at Aspen Dental provided a day of free dental services to more than 30 HW-SC high school students on Saturday, February 13. During “Love Your Smile Day,” Aspen Dental clinicians, along with dental hygiene students from SUNY Canton, provided students with x-rays, basic cleanings and fluoride treatments. The event was held at Aspen Dental’s Camillus office.

“We were thrilled with the incredible turnout and the positive response from our students and the generous contribution from Aspen Dental,” said Wayne O’Connor, executive director of Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection. “Not only do we work with our Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection students to improve academic success but we strive to help them achieve healthy habits leading to their overall well being.”

In addition to Saturday’s event, Aspen Dental recently provided the Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection with a four-year, $50,000 grant to support their efforts in the Syracuse City School District. The donation was the latest effort in Aspen Dental’s Smile for Good corporate social responsibility initiative, which focuses on bringing smiles to the communities that Aspen Dental serves.

“Poor oral health and dental-related pain can negatively impact a student’s academic performance, distracting them from their studies or causing them to miss class altogether,” added Maureen Howes, RDH, director of hygiene services at Aspen Dental Management, Inc. “Providing access to high-quality, comprehensive oral care is a priority for Aspen Dental, so our team was happy to donate a day of free dental services to the HW-SC program.”

HW-SC is a nationally-recognized youth development program proven to double the graduation rates for at-risk youth. The cornerstone of its model are its school-based Youth Advocates, who serve as long-term mentors and liaisons to students and their families, linking students to individualized support services, employment training and on-the-job mentoring, academic tutoring, and year-round enrichment programs. HW-SC helps students develop good habits, achieve academic success, and become responsible young adults. Last year, HW-SC served 468 Syracuse City School District students in grades 7-12, with 89 percent of these students promoted to the next grade level.

ABOUT HW-SC
Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection, founded in 1987 by Robert and Danny Wegman, is an affiliate of Hillside Family of Agencies and serves at-risk youth in three locations in Rochester and Syracuse, NY and in Prince George’s County, MD.
Hillside Family of Agencies is a family and children services organization that provides child welfare, mental health, youth development, juvenile justice, special education, and developmental disabilities services across central and western New York. Hillside Family of Agencies is comprised of affiliates Crestwood Children’s Center, Crestwood Children’s Foundation, Hillside Children’s Center, Hillside Children’s Foundation, Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection, and Snell Farm Children’s Center.

ABOUT ASPEN DENTAL
Aspen Dental, one of the largest and fastest-growing providers of denture and dental care services in the U.S., is committed to providing patients with affordable, high-quality care. Aspen Dental offers convenient locations, extended hours, affordable fees and a wide range of payment plan options. The company works with all insurance plans.

Based in Syracuse, NY, Aspen Dental has grown from 13 offices and three states in 1998 to more than 225 locations in 19 states. In 2009, Aspen Dental recorded more than 1.5 million patient visits, including visits from more than 340,000 new patients.

For more information about Aspen Dental and the services it provides, please visit www.aspendent.com.

Aspen Dental recorded more than 1.5 million patient visits last year, including 340,000 new patients. That’s a 30 percent increase over the 260,000 first-time visitors in 2008.
The company also opened 44 new dental offices, representing a 25 percent expansion.

The new locations bring the total number of Aspen Dental practices to 224 in 19 states. The new offices included the first locations in Florida, Kentucky, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.

Aspen Dental is planning for additional growth in 2010, including 55 new offices. The firm will open its first locations in Nebraska, Minnesota, Tennessee, Maryland, and Delaware.
Besides the new jobs in DeWitt, Aspen Dental also plans to hire nearly 500 employees for its practices nationwide.

Aspen Dental currently has approximately 3,000 employees around the country, including 300 at its Practice Support Center in East Syracuse.

The sophomore students toured ADMI’s denture lab, and learned the differences among types of dentures and how they are made.

“It was nice to be able to take all the terms we learn in our classes and see them in real-life situations,” said Alicia Harrington, who will graduate from SUNY Canton in May 2010.

Maureen Howes, director of hygiene services for Aspen Dental, spoke to the students about an oral cancer screening that uses chemiluminescent technology to detect oral cancer at its earliest stages.

Dr. Arwinder Judge, vice president of clinical support, also discussed the differences between amalgam and composite restorations.

“It’s important for our students to get some hands-on, outside-the-classroom learning,” said Pam Quinn, dental hygiene program director at SUNY Canton. “This is the second year we’ve brought students to Aspen Dental and we hope to continue bringing them in the future”

http://www.dentalofficemag.com/display_article/371020/54/none/none/IndNw/Students-get-hands-on-experience-at-Aspen-Dental

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