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| Dr. Hanif Butt speaks to Somerville students. ~Photo courtesy of Somerville Dental Center |
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By Aaron Crear
With
the rising costs of insurance and the downturn of the economy many
people may find it difficult to afford proper healthcare. However, one
Somerville group is making an effort to ensure that every resident is
able to receive dental care. Dr. Hanif Butt and associates at the
Somerville Dental Center have embarked on a community action initiative
to educate and screen all Somerville residents to promote good oral
hygiene.
"Our goal is to ensure that every child in Somerville has seen a dentist," Dr. Butt said.
Dr.
Butt, who had previously run a part-time private orthodontics practice,
decided that he wanted to do something to give back to the community.
The
center offers free oral screenings to any Somerville resident. Dr. Butt
and his associates have already screened over 1,000 people charge this
year alone. They have also placed and emphasis on children and have
educated all first graders in the Somerville public school system about
the importance of good oral hygiene. The children were shown
educational videos and received gift bags.
SDC also partnered
with the Somerville W.I.C. and Head Start programs offering free oral
screenings to families as well as educational information.
Dr.
Butt's ties to the local community run deep. He is a graduate of Tufts
School of Dental Medicine, Harvard School of Public Health, is a member
of the Somerville Chamber of Commerce and is also a professor at the
Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
"Our long term goal is to
make the City of Somerville a total access dental care city in which
every resident has access to the care that they need," Dr. Butt said.
SDC
will host an event on April 10, 2010 which will feature a Mobile Access
to Care, a full service vehicle used to provide oral screenings and
comprehensive care to Massachusetts residents who otherwise would not
have access to a dentist.
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