January 25, Drs. Moss and Owen’s Dentistry visited Jackson Elementary School to provide free dental screenings to students.

Approximately 520 students participated in the screenings.

"We’re looking to see if they have any immediate, untreated problems or urgent needs," said Dr. Will Owen.

Drs. Moss and Owen’s Dentistry have been doing these screenings for nearly 15 years.

The dentistry worked with Jackson school nurse, Jennifer Reeves RN, BSN, who coordinated the screenings for the students.

"I follow up with children who have needs and make sure they have access to a dentist," said Jennifer Reeves.

Reeves is also interested in teaching the students about dental awareness.

"February is dental awareness month so I stress the importance of dental care to the students,"said Reeves.

Parents of kindergartners and third graders were given the choice of allowing their students to participate in a South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) oral health screening.

According to the DHEC website, the screenings are done every five years to gather information about the oral health of children throughout the state. The information from the screenings will be used to evaluate oral health programs.

On a local level, both Reeves and Dr. Cathy Moss have noticed a decrease in dental issues over the past few years.

Dr. Moss credits this to children and parents being more educated about dental health.

"The program is improving and the follow up and implementation is better," said Moss.