Vu 1

Kim Vu
Mrs. Zehentner
ISM – 4th period
16 October 2023
Project Introduction and Purpose Paper
Dentistry targets patients of all ages, but it is always best to start good habits early to

receive good outcomes. Therefore, pediatric dental education is important to display to the

younger audience. My name is Kim Vu, and as a fellow student at Clear Horizons ECHS

enrolled in the Independent Student Mentorship (ISM) course, I shadowed Dr. Hicks and Dr.

Moon in the field dentistry.

In the beginning, I never wanted to do dentistry in the past and preferred researching

more about pediatrics. I have always loved working with children because I found it very

entertaining to listen to their experiences and connect with them. However, when I went through

the ISM program in my junior year, I saw that dentistry worked with people of all ages, had a

good salary, and had a great work-life balance. Moreover, learning about my personal teeth

progress has left me to find the field of dentistry interesting.

Additionally, the mentorship I had in my junior year positively affected me because I

enjoyed watching my mentor interact with her patients of all ages, especially children. The

interaction between my mentor and her patients allowed the patients to be more at ease at the

dental clinic. However, the interaction also allowed the patients to be more educated on what was

going on with their teeth. Therefore, I decided the project topic to focus on pediatric dental

education for the younger audience because I enjoy working with kids and hope to create better

habits and dental experiences for children.

 Vu 2

Throughout this mentorship, Ikanke Itina, my fellow partner, and I have planned a final

project that consists of a dental “outbreak” at an elementary school in Clear Creek ISD. The two

of us will be researching different techniques to educate elementary children on how to properly

brush their teeth. For instance, finding fun games to help children interact with one another but

also help them understand why and how they should brush their teeth. The overall goal of this

project is to build better dental habits in children to prevent any dental issues in the future.

The dental “outbreak” will consist of a dental bus or van that will come to an elementary

school to clean the children’s teeth. Additionally, the dental organization, my partner, and I will

help teach kids how to clean their teeth and build better dental habits. To follow through with this

project, my partner and I must research a dental “outbreak” in Houston, TX, that will be willing

to visit an elementary school. Then, we will need to seek approval from our school district to

initiate the dental “outbreak” from our school principal. After approval, we would have to

communicate with the dental “outbreak” organization and discuss which elementary school in

CCISD we could visit. We would also need to seek approval from the elementary school and

schedule a date and time to initiate the project. Finally, the dental “outbreak” organization, my

partner, and I will work together to organize a fun interactive presentation describing how to

thoroughly brush their teeth.

Overall, I hope the children can have a better understanding of why it is vital to have good

oral hygiene. Essentially, I want the children to develop good habits early and know that the

dental office should not seem like a scary place. Dentists are always there to help anyone

wanting a good smile and can also act as a fun person to build a relationship with.