An effort at Western Kentucky University to provide dental care to underserved children is getting a boost.
The WKU Institute for Rural Health has been awarded a two-year, $120,000 grant from the Florida-based Jesse Ball duPont Fund.
Institute director Matt Hunt says students from the WKU College of Health and Human Services will provide care in rural counties in the Barren River Area Development District.
“A lot of the communities we serve don’t have any dentists in that particular county. So we’ll be able to provide preventative care, such as exams, cleanings, fluoride varnish, and sealants for the children.”
The WKU project is called Saving the Teeth of a New Generation of Kentuckians. Hunt says the goal is to serve 1,600 children in the next two years.
According to WKU, students in the College of Health and Human Services have logged nearly 18,000 hours in patient care and education via the IRH.