Last year the University of Iowa's College of Dentistry established a community partnership with Allamakee County in an effort to bring dental hygiene and education to the county. With this partnership in mind, the College of Dentistry joined with the College of Education to create an outreach effort called Project SEALED (Service, Engagement and LifeCareer Education in Dentistry).

Recently, Project SEALED made its first dental outreach visit to children in Allamakee County. UI dental students, faculty, and staff visited school children in Waukon and Postville, teaching them good dental hygiene techniques as well as providing some students with dental exams. Nearly 135 children received dental care, which included screenings, cleanings, sealants, and fluoride varnish applications.

The two main goals of Project SEALED are to deliver on-site educational programs to elementary and middle school students as well as parents to help generate interest in dental careers, and to provide on-site community based “service learning” educational and leadership experiences to UI dental students through the delivery of dental care to children.

This activity, which is supported primarily by the Office of the Provost, extends UI resources to Iowans and addresses an important goal of the University Strategic Plan—to provide better futures for Iowans.