Bulletin of Dental Education Article

The Texas A&M University College of Dentistry (Texas A&M Dentistry) Department of Public Health Sciences recently received a $210,000 grant from Metrocrest Hospital Authority (MHA) 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 the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (C-FBISD). It also supports community health events in the Metrocrest area, which includes Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Addison, Coppell and surrounding areas in Texas. The MHA is based in Carrollton, TX.

It will expand dental health services to students in 10 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.

“Prevention is the foundation of lifelong oral health,” said Amal Noureldin, M.S.D., M.S., Ph.D., B.D.S., Director of the Empowering Smiles Oral Health Initiative Program. “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 Dr. Noureldin, Clinical Professor and Director of Predoctoral Programs in Public Health Sciences, and Luz Mendoza, M.B.A., M.S.S., B.D.S., 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.

Texas A&M Dentistry also provided education and information at the district’s Back-to-School Fest in August at a local high school. It’s one of two community events the dental college will participate in as part of the grant.

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 builds partnerships that improve the health of the communities it serves, particularly in topic 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 Dentistry 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, Dr. Noureldin said.

Courtesy of the Texas A&M University College of Dentistry

Published on September 10, 2025