Dental Hygiene Students Help Protect Athletes' Winning Smiles

Published 03.10.2016

News
Nursing & Health Sciences
Dental Hygiene
Student News
Athletics

A student checks the impression she made of a student-athlete’s upper teeth and palate, which she’ll use to create a plaster mold.Student Melissa K. Stabley, of Williamsport, watches as Erica L. Houck, of Wrightsville, separates a plaster mold from its impression. A mouthguard will be formed around the plaster mold.The Penn College lacrosse club team makes good use of its custom-fit mouthguards.Students in Penn College's Dental Hygiene Program provide a service to fellow students while gaining important hands-on experience in the dental hygiene clinic, as they offer to produce mouthguards for Wildcat athletes. Among those taking advantage of the service this semester were members of the lacrosse club team. The American Dental Association promotes a properly fitted mouthguard as the best available protective device for reducing the incidence and severity of sports-related dental injuries.