Austin (Texas) Oral Surgery has educated more than 2,300 dental hygienists in the state on the warning signs of child sex trafficking in its five years of hosting training, the dental practice said Dec. 14.
The practice has raised awareness and funding for The Refuge for Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, a nonprofit that assists girls ages 11-19 who have been rescued from sex traffickers.
Training is provided at the practice's annual hygienist appreciation nights. Trainees are taught to recognize signs of sex trafficking commonly found inside the mouth and to report them without endangering themselves or patients, according to Renee Dixon, marketing director at Austin Oral Surgery.
The practice held its fifth annual event Oct. 27 and 28, training more than 200 dental hygienists and raising more than $7,000 for the nonprofit.
To date, the oral surgery practice has raised nearly $28,000 for the nonprofit.