Free dental care for Delaware children set in Milford Feb. 6
The Delaware State Dental Society will be sponsoring its annual Give Kids A Smile program in Wilmington Friday, Feb. 5, and in Milford Saturday, Feb. 6. More than 100 underserved children will receive free dental services from DSDS members along with the coordinated help of hygienists, dental assistants, office staff and dental supply representatives.
The Delaware State Dental Society has hosted Give Kids A Smile events for the last 12 years in the First State as a way to provide dental care to local children who desperately need it. Last year, 102 children received oral health screenings and comprehensive preventive and restorative treatments that would have cost more than $37,000.
This year’s locations and times are from 8 am. to 2:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 5, at Delaware Technical Community College Dental Health Center, 333 Shipley St., Wilmington and from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 6, at the Dental Offices of Norman S. Steward Jr., DDS, 214 S. Walnut St., Milford.
Nearly one in four children aged 2 to 11 years old has untreated cavities in their baby teeth, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many Delaware children do not take advantage of the excellent coverage they could receive through enrollment in the state’s Medicaid program.
Give Kids A Smile is held annually to provide free, easily accessible dental services to qualifying individuals, raise awareness of the epidemic of untreated dental disease occurring locally and nationally, and create local public and private partnerships to increase access to oral health care to solve this crisis.
The American Dental Association launched the Give Kids A Smile program nationally in 2003 as a way for dentists to join with others in the community to provide dental services to underserved children. Each year, about 350,000 to 400,000 children benefit from more than 1,500 events, all because of the efforts of 40,000 or more annual volunteers nationwide.
Through participation in Give Kids a Smile, parents and caregivers can learn about the availability of excellent dental coverage through the state’s Medicaid program for children. Delaware has the nation’s highest percentage of dentist participation in its Medicaid program.
“Preventive care is critical to maintaining good dental health and overall well-being, and we will continue to participate in these types of efforts to help those who need it,” said Dr. Robert J. Kacmarcik Jr., DSDS president.
“Our members provide more than 5,000 hours of volunteer services annually, and our school-based preventive sealant program is one of the best in the nation. But we can’t do it alone. We need the continued support of our state Legislature and Public Health Department to further educate Delawareans about the importance of oral health.”
For more information about Give Kids a Smile, go to http://www.ada.org/en/home-ada/public-programs/give-kids-a-smile. To learn more about proposed solutions to the dental crisis, go to www.delawarestatedentalsociety.org and www.ada.org/action.
