By Todd Fertig
Kansas Department of Corrections
TOPEKA, Kan. — Oral Health Kansas, a group dedicated to improving oral health in Kansas through advocacy, public awareness and education, has presented its Outstanding Oral Health Volunteer Award for 2013 to the students and the administrative specialist, Kathy Heerwald, of the Kansas Correctional Industries Dental Lab at the Topeka Correctional Facility.
Each year the Delta Dental of Kansas Foundation generously provides enough toothbrushes, toothpastes and dental flosses for the students participating in the Dental Lab’s Dental Technician Training Program to assemble over 2000 gift bags. These gift bags are provided at no charge to, and for distribution by, the Topeka Moving Ahead Program and the YWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment, as well as to all TCF inmates. It is in recognition of this activity that the Volunteer Award for 2013 was presented at the annual Oral Health Kansas awards luncheon.
The Dental Technician Program at the Topeka Correctional Facility is designed to provide women inmates with education and hands-on experience in the art and science of denture-making, in order to better support themselves and their families upon release. The dentures they create benefit the medically-underserved of Kansas.
Reprinted with permission of Kansas DOC