Families are over-extended; budgets are tight; dental care is costly, and access to Medicaid providers in Missouri is limited. As a result, low-income children are not visiting the dentist once a year, much less twice annually as recommended. To help combat this issue, hundreds of local dental professionals are set to gather at Saint Louis University’s Center for Advanced Dental Education on Friday, Oct. 23 and Saturday, Oct. 24 to provide care to those in need during the Give Kids A Smile dental clinic. Services will be provided completely free of charge for toddlers and school-aged children through 8th grade, who are Medicaid-eligible, qualify for a school lunch program or need dental assistance due to other circumstances. Individuals will be seen by appointment only. To register, call Give Kids A Smile at 636-397-6453 by Friday, Oct. 18.
Registered children will receive comprehensive services by a team of more than 400 dental professional volunteers in the form of X-rays, professional cleanings, fluoride treatments and sealants, as well as restorations (fillings), endodontics (root canals) and oral surgery, as needed. Those requiring extensive dental services that cannot be completed within the allotted clinic timeframe can obtain the necessary, and often critical, follow-up care at no cost through one of the many private dental offices enrolled in GKAS’s Smile Factories program.
The Give Kids A Smile organization is mindful that many area families unexpectedly come into crisis due to job loss, medical issues, changes in the family dynamics and various other situations that leave them unable to afford dental health care for their children. All registrations are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. It is also important to note that while critical care is provided, organizers also work hard to create a non-intimidating, fun-filled environment for visiting children. Founding sponsor Delta Dental of Missouri provides an entertainment area for children after they receive services, featuring face painters, balloon artists, games, a visit from the Tooth Wizard and the ability to interact with a Spanish-speaking Tooth Fairy who helps communicate to non-English speaking children.
To learn more about the work of Give Kids A Smile or to register by Friday, Oct. 18 for the upcoming clinic, call 636-397-6453 or log on to www.gkas.org. The registration process includes the completion of health history and consent forms. Appointments are given on a first-come, first-served basis.
Give Kids a Smile was developed by Jeffrey Dalin, DDS; B. Ray Storm, DDS; Tom Flavin, DDS; Mark Ortinau, DDS and Jan Storm, RDHB, in February 2002 to provide children of families who cannot afford dental care with access to the benefits of dental services. GKAS is made possible thanks to major contributors and local supporters including Delta Dental of Missouri, First Pacific Corporation, Goetze Dental, Greater St. Louis Dental Society, Guardian Life Insurance, Keller Dental Laboratory, Missouri Dental Association, Patterson Dental, Saint Louis University’s Center for Advanced Dental Education and Young Dental. National sponsors include Colgate, Henry Shein Dental and DEXIS. Funding is also provided in part by The Missouri Foundation for Health, which is a philanthropic organization whose vision is to improve the health of the people in the communities it serves.
For more information, contact:
Kelly Harris or Joan Allen
The Hauser Group Give Kids A Smile
314.436.9090 636.397.6453