The funds will provide oral health education and screenings in 10 schools within the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District. Community events also are part of the initiative.
Texas A&M University College of Dentistry’s Department of Public Health Sciences recently received a $210,000 grant from Carrollton-based Metrocrest Hospital Authority to continue the Empowering Smiles Oral Health Initiative Program, which launched last year. The dental college received $120,000 in 2024.
The program provides preventative oral health care, including sealants and fluoride varnish; dental screenings; and oral health education to students in Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, as well as support community health events in the Metrocrest area, which includes Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Addison, Coppell and surrounding areas.
It will expand dental health services to students in ten schools—eight elementary and two middle schools—up from five schools last year. Participating students will receive dental health education, screening for dental problems, fluoride varnish and oral health kits.
Additionally, second and third graders will receive dental sealants, with parental consent. Dental sealants—thin plastic coatings applied to the chewing surfaces of premolars and molars—serve as protective barriers against bacteria that cause decay and cavities.
Participating elementary schools are Annie Heads Rainwater, Carrollton and Blanton, all in Carrollton; McLaughlin/Strickland and Dave Blair, both in Farmers Branch; and Sheffield, Kathryn S. McWhorter and Charlie McKamy, all in Dallas. Middle schools are DeWitt Perry in Carrollton and Barbara Bush in Irving.
“Prevention is the foundation of lifelong oral health,” said Dr. Amal Noureldin, director of the initiative. “Our data from last year found elementary school-aged children in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch community experience disproportionately high rates of tooth decay.”
The program expects to screen more than 2,000 individuals during the school year, said Noureldin, clinical professor and director of predoctoral programs in public health sciences, and Dr. Luz Mendoza, program manager in public health sciences. They shared that about two-thirds of children ages six to eight in Texas have tooth decay, compared to the national average of 53%.
The program screened more than 1,000 individuals during the last grant period.
Faculty, dental students and dental hygiene students also will provide education and information at the district’s Back-to-School Fest from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 2, at Ranchview High School, 8401 E. Valley Ranch Pkwy., in Irving. It’s one of two community events the dental college will participate in as part of the grant, and participation is open to all ages.
MHA recently released $3.3 million in community grants. The nonprofit was founded in 1975 to create a quality health care environment for both providers and users. It creates partnerships that improve the health of the communities it serves, particularly in areas such as access to health, education, prevention efforts, early detection and treatment programs.
“We are proud to continue our partnership with Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, helping to expand access to preventative dental care for children in our community,” said Krista Farber Weinstein, COO of MHA. “This initiative aligns directly with MHA’s mission of improving overall health by investing in prevention, care, and education — ensuring a healthier future for the families we serve.”
While Texas A&M provided school-based sealant services to Dallas Independent School District, Richardson School District, Garland Independent School District and Irving Independent School District in the past, the initiative implemented in C-FBISD combines four individual programs to achieve better preventive outcomes, Noureldin said.