Chinatown Night Out 2023: A great Volunteer Experience!

On an afternoon with clear skies and sunshine, a thick atmosphere of excitement and fun,
families came out to celebrate Chinatown Night Out on August 1, 2023. As in previous years,
students from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TUSDM) were in attendance to
engage and celebrate with the community that is home to the Tufts University health sciences
campus and where they spend four years in training to become global leaders in dentistry.
This year, manning the Tufts Dental table were Chioma Anokwute, D25, Jessica Restrepo, D26,
and Luis Mendieta, D26. Donned in their representative class color scrubs, they spent the
afternoon giving high fives, applause, and words of encouragement as children stopped by the
table to show off their tooth brushing skills on the big blue dinosaur teddy, with the most
perfect set of pearl whites one has ever seen, and his likewise-sized red toothbrush.

Some children were all in for brushing teddy’s teeth, some were at first apprehensive but upon
realization that teddy doesn’t bite were willing to give it a go, and then there those who said,
“absolutely not!”. As the children, sometimes in groups of friends and siblings, and sometimes
with parents and/or grandparents, brushed teddy’s teeth, they were drawn into discussions on
how often to brush one’s teeth, the amount of sugar in some of their favorite beverages, and
the experience of visiting the dentist.

At the table was a board with different beverage bottles/cans and their associated tablespoons
of sugar, in clear plastic bags. Children and adults were similarly astonished by how much sugar
is consumed when they pop open their favorite sugary beverage, and this opened the door to
conversations on the best ways to enjoy such beverages, twenty minutes and under instead of
sipping for hours, with a straw whenever possible, and rinsing with water afterwards. For those
children who reported their parents drinking too much soda or juice, alternatives for satisfying
the sweet tooth were offered.

And for all the kids who brushed teddy’s teeth, a reward of kid’s toothpaste with fluoride and
toothbrush were given. The afternoon engaging with the community was filled with laughter
and light-hearted fun and the dental students hope for many more opportunities such as this to
not only give back, but to practice dental education, something they’ll be doing for the rest of
their lives.
Written by: Chioma Anokwute, D25