Fifteen members of Pacific’s Chapter of the Student National Dental Association (SNDA) recently organized a Lessons in a Lunchbox event at Fairmount Elementary School in San Francisco. One of the big projects the SNDA does nationwide is Lessons in a Lunchbox. In partnership with The Children’s Oral Health Institute, the goal is the reduce tooth decay, which is the most common chronic disease in children 5 to 17 years old. One of the goals is to help introduce the importance of oral health at a young age in hopes of preventing more severe oral diseases. The second goal is the help introduce children to dentistry as a potential career that they are all capable of pursuing and achieving. Following the presentation by members of the SNDA, teachers incorporate a 5 day lesson plan into their daily lessons with information that was provided during Lessons in a Lunchbox.
The SNDA promotes and supports the academic and social environment of minority students in the field of dentistry and create opportunities for members to develop stronger alliances among each other.