As I waited for my caramel macchiato, I wasn’t thinking about teeth. I should’ve been though, since every sip was yellowing my smile. 

According to Being Human, “When drinking (coffee), tannins seep into the pores on your teeth enamel, leaving a yellow hue on your teeth.” Fortunately, Madison College has a solution and one that supports a better cause. 

Every February for the past six years the Madison College Dental Clinic students have provided preventative dental services for children whose families might otherwise not be able to afford them. 

The clinic saw over 100 children last year alone and what started as just a sealant day has progressed into dental cleanings, x-rays, and fluoride treatments – all provided free of charge. 

This is a great resource, but it cannot be provided without our help.  

For the clinic to continue providing these free services, they are hosting a fundraiser in February. The fundraiser products are a Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4700 toothbrush kit for $60, an Opalescence Go Teeth Whitening kit for $65, and Opalescence Whitening Toothpaste for $10. 

“Come up to the Dental Hygiene Clinic reception desk and you can place an order there and make payment there as well,” said Holly Sanderson, a Dental Hygiene Instructor at Madison College Dental program, which is located within the 1705 Health Sciences building on the Truax campus.  

An email order can also be sent to Holly Sanderson ([email protected]) or Eric Ewing ([email protected]). When ordering at the dental clinic front desk the products would be available immediately. If sending an email to order the products they would be available for pick up at the dental clinic front desk later that same day. 

 “Our students always do such a fantastic job with the care that they provide, and the patient education is outstanding, so it’s heartwarming to watch them,” says Sanderson. The dental clinic is a beautiful, clean facility with over 30 dental chairs and is open to Madison College students ($30/dental cleaning) and the public ($40/cleaning). 

Regarding the fundraiser products, Sanderson said, “The nice thing about the toothpaste is that it kind of buffs out a little bit of the exterior staining so it might help remove a little of the plaque and it brightens the teeth, where the whitening strips penetrate the teeth and whiten from the inside out.” 

To anyone looking to brighten their smile and help provide the funds for the clinic to continue to offer free services to children during February, pick up a tube of toothpaste or more.