Katy Helstab and Sadie Pettigrew, aspiring dental professionals, designed a hands-on learning lab to help kids understand why they should brush and floss as they participated in Buda Dental’s Give a Kid a Smile program. (Photo by Kim Hilsenbeck)
by KIM HILSENBECK
Think Girl Scouts. For many, yummy cookies come to mind. But as two young Buda Girl Scout juniors demonstrate, it’s much more than baked goods.
A few years ago, Katy Heldstab, 10, watched her older brother get braces. That solidified it for this home-schooled fifth grader.
“I knew when I was six I wanted to be an orthodontist,” Katy said.
Her dream is still going strong. Katy inspired fellow Girl Scout junior Sadie Pettigrew, 11, to want to become a dentist during a field trip to Buda Dental Professionals. Sadie is a fifth-grader at Carpenter Hill Elementary.
These members of Buda’s troop 1731 are working to make their dreams come true, and earning a bronze award – the highest honor a Girl Scout junior can achieve – in the process.
“We were looking for a project and found Give Kids a Smile,” Sadie said. “We decided it would be great to help kids who can’t afford dental care.”
Every February 3, Give Kids a Smile (GKAS) happens at nearly 1,600 dental offices nationwide. The 10-year-old program, sponsored by the American Dental Association, brings needed dental services to under-served children; in many cases, they have never been to a dentist.
Katy and Sadie proposed the event to their dentist, Ashley Strickland, DDS, at Buda Dental. Donald Taylor, DDS, opened the practice 30 years ago in downtown Buda.
“Dr. Taylor has served the community for a long time,” said Strickland. “It wasn’t hard to convince him to host GKAS.”
Buda Dental already offers Dentistry from the Heart; last fall the practice gave away $24,000 in free dental care. Taylor also offers his services at no charge to one to two patients a month through Donated Dental Services. Taylor is also planning another trip to Haiti to provide dental care.
“I feel fortunate to have this job,” Taylor said, “and am thankful to give back to the Buda community.”
The affable doctor said his office used to get involved in other fundraisers, such as Relay for Life.
“But I decided it made more sense to do what we do best,” Taylor said.
With help from Sadie and Katy, Buda Dental held its first ever GKAS.
“The girls organized the promotion, set up the hands-on lab demonstrations, and they are here today helping the patients,” Strickland said.
Buda Dental provided pro bono dental care to 17 patients during the Give Kids a Smile event. The work included cleaning, X-rays, exams, and filling cavities.
For little Kyla Bray, 2, of Kyle, visiting the dentist for the first time seemed daunting. She clung to her mom, Amber Bray, the whole time.
Sadie and Katy, dressed in personalized mini lab coats from Strickland, worked to make Kyla feel comfortable. They met her in the lobby, showed her the instruments the dentist would use, and helped in the exam room.
For older patients, the girls set up a hands-on learning lab with demonstrations showing the importance of good oral hygiene. One area showed how much sugar is in soda and sports drinks. Another showed the importance of flossing.
“They did everything themselves,” Strickland said.
Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) CEO Anna Maria Chávez declared 2012 the Year of the Girl, in celebration of the organization’s 100 year anniversary. Katy and Sadie certainly seem to embody that spirit.
“They are amazing young women,” Strickland said.
