Seven dentists, one busy classroom
A team of dental specialists spent the day examining students one by one. Dr Umeet Singh, Dr Pallavi Sharma, Dr Harsh Gupta, Dr Mukul Saini, Dr Pranshu Varshney, Dr Payal Agrawal and Dr Govind Mishra set up at long tables with gloves, masks, mouth mirrors and small boxes lined up in front of them.
The photograph from the camp tells the story better than a list could. A little boy in the yellow SMCIS uniform stands at the edge of the table, waiting his turn and watching the dentist carefully. Behind him a classmate sits with her mouth open while a doctor leans in with a light. Further back, another girl looks on with the slightly worried face every child makes just before a check-up, and then relaxes once she realises nothing is going to hurt.
For many of these children it was probably their first proper dental examination. Doing it at school, with friends around and teachers nearby, takes most of the fear out of it.
What the doctors told the children
The advice was simple, and that is its strength. The dentists asked students to eat a balanced diet, cut down on very sweet foods and junk food, and brush their teeth twice a day, every day.
They also made a point that parents would do well to hear. Any problem with the teeth, however small, should not be ignored. A sensitive tooth, a dark spot, bleeding gums or pain while chewing are all reasons to see a dentist early rather than waiting for the problem to get worse. Timely advice from a doctor is almost always quicker, cheaper and less painful than treatment later.
Why a dental camp for schoolchildren matters
It is easy to think of milk teeth as temporary and therefore not very important. That is a mistake. Children’s teeth help them chew properly, speak clearly and hold space for the permanent teeth that come later. A child with a toothache also finds it hard to concentrate in class, sleep well or eat a full meal.
Most dental trouble in children starts slowly and quietly. A small cavity rarely hurts at first, which is why a routine check-up catches what a busy parent might miss. A camp like this one brings the dentist to the child instead of waiting for the child to be taken to the dentist, and that makes a real difference for families across Sasni, Hathras and Aligarh.
Small habits to keep going at home
The camp lasted a day, but the habits the doctors talked about need to happen every day. A few simple things help most families.
1. Brush in the morning and again before bed, and supervise younger children until they can do it properly on their own. 2. Keep sweets, toffees and packaged snacks for occasional treats rather than daily tiffin, and have children rinse their mouth with water after eating them. 3. Replace a toothbrush once the bristles start to fray. 4. Make a dental visit a routine check-up, not something saved for the day a tooth starts to ache.
None of this is complicated. The hard part is doing it every single day, and that is where a school and a family working together can help.
A healthy smile is part of all-round development.
Principal Vivek Dixit said that for the all-round development of students, healthy teeth are just as important as a healthy body. It is a fair point and one that gets overlooked. Schools talk a lot about sports, nutrition and fitness, and dental health belongs in the same conversation.
The camp was supported by Manager Shri Ajay Agrawal, Directors Abhishek Agrawal and Aakash Agrawal, Shikha Singh and Jaymala Verma. SMCIS, a CBSE school in Sasni on the Aligarh-Agra Road, works by the line “Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow”, and the dental check-up camp on 11 August 2026 was a reminder that looking after a child’s health is part of that learning too.
The school thanks the Indian Dental Association and every doctor who gave their time to the students of Seth Malook Chand International School.