FLORENCE, S.C. (May 29, 2019) – The South Carolina Dental Association (SCDA) donated $10,000 to the Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) Dental Program on Wednesday for hosting Dental Access Day.
The SCDA’s Executive Director Phil Latham and Immediate Past President Dr. Tom McDonald visited the FDTC Health Sciences Campus on Wednesday and presented the FDTC Dental Program a $10,000 check for hosting and assisting with Dental Access Day on April 5. FDTC Dental Program students and college leaders were in attendance for the check presentation.
“FDTC is very appreciative of this generous donation,” said FDTC Interim President Edward Bethea. “It helps to strengthen our Dental Hygiene Program.”
On Dental Access Day, regional dental care professionals tended to patients during the free community event at the FDTC Health Sciences Campus. Students of the FDTC Dental Hygiene and Expanded-Duty Dental Assisting Programs performed services that included cleanings, fillings, extractions, x-rays and more. Throughout the event, 145 patients were served and more than $79,000 worth of dental services were provided.
“The SCDA is extremely grateful to FDTC for allowing us to use their facility to provide free dental services to those in need,” said SCDA Executive Director Phil Latham. “Thanks to everyone involved in this project at FDTC who were extremely helpful. A special thanks to Dr. Jamie Driggers and the FDTC dental hygiene and dental assistant students who worked hard to make this project a success.”
Dental Access Day offered FDTC Dental Program students an opportunity to work alongside of dental care professionals and gain hands-on training. FDTC Dental students frequently hold their own clinical days, but to work with dental care professionals in a faster paced, real-world scenario helped the students further their studies.
"The Dental Access Day event was a huge success, for both the community of patients and the students of FDTC,” said Jamie Driggers, former Director of the Dental Hygiene Program and current adjunct instructor at FDTC. “By giving their time, the students were able to work side-by-side with area dentists, help patients of the Pee Dee community and gain valuable experience. I look forward to helping with future Dental Access Day projects."
For more information on the services that the Dental Clinic at FDTC offers, call 843-661-8224.
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