Niagara College and Bethesda joined forces to help children with autism receive dental services this week.
The two hosted a free clinic for 26 local children at the College’s Welland Campus this week.
Niagara College staff and more than 50 second-year students from the College’s Dental Hygiene advanced diploma program participated.
Services included x-rays, oral hygiene aching, scaling, sealants, fluoride, nutritional counselling and more.
Clinicians from Bethesda were present to offer support, as well as faculty and about 40 students from the College’s Autism Behavioural Science (ABS) graduate certificate program.
Officials say by combining the expertise of the College’s dental programs with the science of Applied Behaviour Therapy, the clinic provided proactive strategies to help support the children in completing what would typically be an overwhelming event.
It also helped to support and reduce stress for the children’s caregivers, by providing services that they may have had difficulty accessing in the past.
This was the first joint service offering between NC and Bethesda.
For more information visit niagaracollege.ca.