Offering free dental checkups, strategies to help kids combat anxiety and many other health and wellness resources, several schools and programs at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio participated in the third annual Spurs x Frost Back to School Bash held Aug. 8 at the Frost Bank Center.
Event organizers estimated that more than 5,000 schoolchildren, parents, guardians and teachers attended the free community event, which featured backpacks and school supplies, as well as vaccines, haircuts, dental checkups and other resources provided by community organizations and vendors. The event was sponsored by San Antonio Spurs Sports & Entertainment and Frost Bank.
Dental Checkups, Asthma, and Self-Soothing Information
THE School of Dentistry The school participated in the event for the second year, with more than 30 student and faculty volunteers from the Doctor of Dental Surgery and Dental Hygiene programs, demonstrating the school’s commitment to the health and well-being of the community. Dental students and faculty conducted more than 160 dental screenings for children and adults, providing early detection and care. Dental hygiene students engaged the youngest participants, providing more than 450 interactive oral hygiene demonstrations. More than 1,000 dental care kits were distributed, each containing toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss, as well as information about UT Dentistry options for dental care.
Two programs of the School of Health Professions participated in the event, also for the second year. Participants who stopped by the Department of Occupational Therapy Students at the station had the chance to participate in a sensory activity and received information on self-calming strategies for children experiencing anxiety at school and how to ensure backpacks are not too heavy. Students and teachers at the Respiratory Care Service The exhibit attracted a steady stream of curious children and adults with hands-on demonstrations of pig lungs inflated by mechanical and manual ventilation and a vest designed to provide vibration airway clearance therapy. They also provided information on asthma inhalers and spacer devices.
“I loved it,” Justin Garcia, a master’s student in respiratory care, said of the opportunity to interact with the audience. “All their faces lit up when they realized they could touch it,” he said of the pig lung demonstration.
University of Texas at San Antonio School of Public Healthwhich welcomes its first cohort of students this fall, has distributed more than 2,000 pencils, coloring books, rulers, crayons and mugs.
Resources for Youth and Adolescents
University of Texas Adolescent Health UT Teen Health showcased youth- and teen-friendly resources, such as the Teen Clinic, which offers physicals and sports care in a teen-friendly environment, and Project YES, an evidence-based online module designed to help teens who are feeling sad or anxious develop positive mental health skills. UT Teen Health also shared valuable resources for parents, including materials for fostering positive relationships with youth, strategies for empowering youth, and free online modules on trauma-informed care.
UT Health Physicians shared information about his sports medicine programwhich provides specialized diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitation services to keep athletes and all South Texas residents moving. UT Health physicians received 190 entries into a drawing held at the event for free UT Health San Antonio giveaways and Spurs merchandise. UT Health San Antonio is the official sports medicine partner of the San Antonio Spurs.
