The Dental Hygiene department recently received a $2,500 grant from Entergy.

The grant will be used for supplies and patient education for their Mobile Dental Hygiene Unit. This is the department’s second federal grant they have received.

Judy Fellows, associate dean of the College of Health Sciences, helped in the efforts to get the grant.

“We wrote to Entergy requesting to be considered for program,” said Fellows.

As of right now, the total of dental patients seen in the mobile unit is 427 with 439 dental visits.

“We provide dental cleaning, fluoride, x-rays and nutritional counseling,” said Jordan Williams, assistant professor of the Dental Hygiene deptartment. Williams is also the coordinator for the mobile dental hygiene unit.

“We plan to continue our efforts to target the whole community,” said Williams.

Williams said she hopes that children will learn good dental habits early on and incorporate them at home.

Since fall 2010, the mobile unit has been in Ouachita, Morehouse and Richland parishes.

The mobile unit provides dental care to people and families who lack the funds to do so. It also helps give dental hygiene students hands-on experience with their future careers.

“We’re making a difference in our community and in our students,” said Williams.

The mobile unit houses three rooms for patients and storage for supplies. The dental hygiene deptartment. plans to continue bringing the mobile unit to elementary schools and community centers in northern Louisiana

“It’s very impressive, and we’re proud to have it at ULM,” Fellows said, “We are all very appreciative for Entergy and this grant.”