Asian American Dental Club Connects With Chinatown Residents

Asian American Dental Club members volunteer at a Chinatown event.

In New York’s Chinatown, finding a dentist can be daunting for residents.

“A lot of times, they don’t know that clinics are available for healthcare. Even making them aware that this is an option is helpful,’’ says Nicole Viola, president of RSDM’s Asian American Dental Club.

For the past two years, the club has made two visits to Chinatown, one at a local YMCA health fair and another during the Myanmar Water Festival, led by Dr. Fanny Moy a professor at RSDM.

“The primary thing is that many of them don’t speak English. It helps that we have Mandarin speakers. That breaks the barrier,’’ says Viola.

During events, club members  have educated children and adults about oral healthcare, showing kids proper tooth brushing methods and giving tips to elderly residents. The health fair event also includes a dental screening.

“For many people, oral health isn’t an issue until it becomes a problem,’’ said club member Vicky Vergara. “For us, this is our way of sharing with the community.’’