Sahara Willoughby

“A great experience that adds meaning to everyday life.”

Dental hygiene student Sahara Willoughby enjoyed participating in the School of Dentistry’s community outreach program. Instead of helping in a clinic, however, Willoughby spent five days on a bus that traveled to different elementary schools in the Saginaw/Bay City area.

She said that although officials at the schools and the children knew that she and others would be on a bus that was equipped to provide care, “for many of the children, it was the first time their teeth were being checked. Many were frightened and would ask, ‘Are you going to pull my teeth?’

“We told them ‘no’ and that we were checking to make sure their teeth were all there, that they were coming in the right way, and that there was nothing wrong with them,” she said. When there were problems, Willoughby said, “we would do simple things to try to help solve the problem, such as applying sealants.”

Because of the age range of the children, preschool to fifth grade, “I found I had to be creative in how I responded to some of their questions,” she said. “I tried to reassure them when I could, but I also tried to give them helpful information in language they understood.”

Hoping to work in a private practice in southeast Michigan after she graduates, Willoughby advised her dental hygiene classmates “to have an open mind and be flexible. You’ll enjoy your experience. I was sad to leave because I was helping to make a difference. It was a great experience that adds meaning to everyday life.”