Students at Orem’s Westmore Elementary School receive access to no-cost dental services on campus
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- Utah Valley University dental hygiene student Ashlee Barlow performs a checkup on Adalynn, a second grader at Westmore Elementary School, in the school’s makeshift clinic on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
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- Utah Valley University dental hygiene student Afton Mann prepares to perform a dental cleaning on Fife Webster in a makeshift dental clinic at Westmore Elementary School on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
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- Utah Valley University dental hygiene students, from left, Afton Mann, Amy Rose, Annalise Iverson and Ashlee Barlow are pictured inside Westmore Elementary School’s makeshift dental clinic on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
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- Utah Valley University dental hygiene student Afton Mann prepares to perform a dental cleaning on Fife Webster at Westmore Elementary School on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
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- Utah Valley University dental hygiene student Annalise Iverson writes down information as Ashlee Barlow performs dental service on Adalynn Olsen inside Westmore Elementary School’s makeshift dental clinic on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
Making a trip to the dentist office can bring up a range of emotions for children. And in the case of low-income families who may not have the means to afford dental services, those emotions may look much different.
Fortunately for students at Westmore Elementary School in Orem, they can get a dental exam right on campus thanks to a partnership between the school and Utah Valley University.
Westmore Principal Vic Larsen says the program was formed to ensure that students have equitable dental care regardless of their family’s financial situation.
The program aims to address dental pain and the student absences that could be associated with it.
“If they’re missing school, they’re not going to learn how to read, write, (and) do math, and if they can’t learn how to read, write, (and) do math, then doors aren’t going to open up to them in the future,” Larsen said.
The resource is another way of breaking down barriers for students to achieve future aspirations.
“One of the reasons why I went into education is to say — and I tell this to my teachers all the time — we’re going to unlock as many doors as we can,” Larsen said.
Twice a week, Westmore Elementary students are seen in the clinic by students in UVU’s dental hygiene program.
Around 60 elementary students have been served by the clinic during the current school year.
Each student’s parents must consent to all services, which include dental exams, X-rays, fluoride, sealants and cleanings. All are provided free of charge.
“Through our partnership with the UVU dental hygiene program we have greatly impacted the lives of our students,” Larsen said.
While the program is open to all students of Westmore, the service provides a vital benefit for families experiencing financial hardships.
Alyson Madsen, community outreach coordinator at Westmore, said out of the school’s nearly 500 student population, around 70% of those are from poverty-stricken homes.
In some instances, Madsen said parents have become emotional upon learning about the services and accessibility for their student to dental care.
“(They get emotional) because they’re in a situation right now where they can’t even afford their housing, and just to be able to have their child seen, (and) understand what’s going on with their kid,” Madsen said.
In the event where a child needs additional dental health services, Madsen helps connect families to affordable resources “just to have it totally transparent for them, and kind of a roadmap.”
“A lot of the time you just don’t know how to help your kid, and so this kind of breaks that down,” she said.
On Wednesday, a team of four UVU dental hygiene students and their instructor performed various cleanings, exams and procedures for three Westmore Elementary students.
Brianna Olsen’s first grade daughter, Adalynn was one of those students.
Olsen said the dentist experience wasn’t a new thing for her daughter, but she was still nervous going into Wednesday’s visit. It didn’t take long, though, before Adalynn got comfortable with the dental students.
“It feels safer than a dentist office,” Brianna Olsen said.
She noted the program’s significance for families without dental insurance, and its positive impact on health and education.
“I think it’s just really helpful, they have so many different things that they take care of and just check in on — especially for families who struggle, who don’t have insurance,” Olsen said. “I really think it makes a huge difference in their education.”
Amy Rose, a first-year student in UVU’s dental hygiene program, said she always wanted to be in healthcare but decided on dental hygiene a few years ago.
Rose said she values the real-life experience she is gaining from the program and being able to assist in providing a crucial service to preserve the oral health of young students.
“I love having this opportunity to help teach children, especially at a young age how to properly take care of their teeth, so that maybe we can help them prevent even more issues with their oral health,” Rose told the Daily Herald.
Ashlee Barlow, another first-year student in the UVU program, expressed a similar sentiment.
“Throughout my life, I’ve always had access to dental care and it’s just really awesome being able to help people who don’t have that access,” Barlow said. “They come in and we can give them the (dental) instruction they’re probably not getting as often as some other people are able to. It’s awesome to be able to see that and help out (and) be part of it.”
Larsen shared a story about how the dental resource played a major role in one student’s attendance and behavior.
“The student was able to attend the free dental hygiene clinic and they discovered she had several cavities,” Larsen said. “In partnership with local dentists, the parent was able to seek free dental care and in a few days the student returned to school free of pain. Over the course of the year the student didn’t miss school and her academic performance began to increase exponentially.”
He hopes it’s something that can continue for many more years at Westmore and expressed great gratitude for UVU students who make sacrifices to help students get needed dental services, marking a win-win for everyone.
“It’s a sacrifice of love, of service, and to see college students giving back to their community,” Larsen said. “I love it.”
