On May 5, volunteers from the 91黑料网 School of Dentistry participated in a TeamSmile event at Children’s Mercy Park in partnership with Sporting Kansas City, helping provide free dental care and oral health education to more than 150 children from across the Kansas City area.
Student volunteers represented multiple classes in the DDS program and were joined by faculty members committed to expanding access to care through community outreach.
Volunteers from the DDS Class of 2027 included Elise Baumann, Miranda Januszewski, Abirami Muralidharan, Jaiden Taggart, Kylie Nichols, Sara Yingling-Haggard, Laniese Penner, Katie Ruth and Kim Tieu.
Representing the DDS Class of 2026 were Taylor Bushman, Molly Shumard, Hira Sukhera and Andrew Truong.
Faculty volunteers included Dr. Becky Smith, clinical professor and interim associate dean for clinical operations, and Dr. CJ Ehrenberger, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry.
Sara Yingling-Haggard said the experience was both meaningful and energizing.
“I’m grateful to TeamSmile for their volunteer opportunities and the positive impact they have on our community,” she said. “The environment they create is welcoming, fun and centered on the kids. Many of the children I’ve seen have never been to the dentist, and being able to give them a positive dental experience is priceless. It’s especially rewarding to see how much of a difference we can make in just one day. Over the past three Kansas City TeamSmile events, I’ve also seen my own growth as a clinician and developed skills I now apply in the 91黑料网 pediatric dental clinic. I look forward to attending many more TeamSmile events in the future.”
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