More than 30 members of the University of Louisville’s Student National Dental Association recently gave 20 local underserved children an opportunity to shop for gifts, take part in holiday festivities and create relationships with future dental professionals.

Dental student SNDA member Darius Sanford says ‘Shop with a Dentist’ gives kids a fun experience, along with information about budgeting and proper oral hygiene.

“We hope this short-term mentorship experience will help lessen the fear some children have of going to the dentist. It provides us a way to give back to our community and provides a meaningful holiday experience for children in need,” Sanford said.  

They also hosted a brief morning program at the Novak Center for Children's Health which included breakfast, coloring and budgeting activities and oral hygiene instruction. 

Following the program, each child and UofL School of Dentistry student mentor traveled by bus to a local retailer for a holiday shopping experience. 

The Wheatley Elementary School children were selected for the program by a family engagement specialist based on need. UofL School of Dentistry students held school-wide fund-raisers to support the ‘Shop with a Dentist’ program.