Third-Grade Poster Contest
Muhammad Sheikh , a nine-year-old student at East Stroudsburg Elementary School in Monroe County , was this year ’ s first place winner . Muhammad ’ s prize-winning entry creatively depicts “ stylish ” dental instruments with the tagline , “ To Keep Your Teeth in Style , Brush , Floss , Smile !” Muhammad was presented with his framed winning poster and $ 500 prize by PDA member dentist Dr . Seth Walbridge , a general dentist practicing in Easton , at East Stroudsburg Elementary School on May 10 . Both the school and Muhammad ’ s teacher , Tania Iannia received prizes for being part of the first-place entry .
Everyone at the East Stroudsburg Elementary School , as well as the East Stroudsburg Area School District , is very proud of Muhammad for placing first in the statewide dental health poster contest ,” said David Baker , East Stroudsburg Elementary School ’ s Principal . “ Muhammad did an awesome job and is an awesome young man .”
“ It was amazing to see the joy on all the faces during the presentation of the PDA award to Muhammad Sheikh . His classmates and teachers alike were cheering him on and the environment was very fun !” said Dr . Walbridge . “ I cannot express enough what this moment meant not only to them , but also to me . I look forward to participating in events like these for NCDHM in the future . This is what being a dentist is all about .”
Karen Buis , CSDH , David Baker ( Principal ), Tania Iannia ( Teacher ), Dr . Seth , Muhammad , Brian Baddick ( Dir . of Pupil Services ), And the Sheikh family
PDA would like to recognize Karen Buis , East Stroudsburg ’ s certified school dental hygienist ( CSDH ) for her years of participation and dedication to children ’ s dental health .
“ I love NCDHM because my sons participated in it when they were in third grade ,” Buis said . “ My oldest was selected as an honorable mention in the 1997 poster contest and it sparked his journey to become a pediatric dentist in 2019 .”
She shows her son ’ s prize-winning poster to all her students to spark inspiration for the annual contest and to potentially inspire future dental professionals . Her son is Dr . Bill Buis , a pediatric dental specialist and owner of Advanced Pediatric Dentistry in Mechanicsburg .
Buis earned her Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene from Northampton Community College in 1981 and became a CSDH in 1997 , where the following February she began her 25-year career at the East Stroudsburg School District . She has always loved working with children , saying , “ They keep you young . My goal is to inspire them . When I worked in private practice , the receptionist always put the children in my schedule because I was more patient with them because of having children of my own . I guess I knew how to speak their language .”
PDA thanks Karen for her years of dedicated service to children ’ s oral health and participation in our annual NCDHM poster contest . Every year she sends submissions from all the elementary schools she oversees . She will be retiring this September and is currently training her successor , as the East Stroudsburg School District knows the importance of having a hygienist for their students . We wish her well as she continues to spread her knowledge in a new role as a multi-tasking registered dental hygienist with her son ’ s practice .
14 MAY / JUNE 2023 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL