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Give Kids a Smile provides dental care for children

Rep. Bobby Outten, R-Harrington, center, visited the GKAS event. Shown with Outten are Dr. Douglas Ditty, chairman of GKAS, left, and Dr. Robert Kacmarcik, president of the Delaware State Dental Society. BY STEVEN BILLUPS
Steven Billups
February 18, 2016
The volunteer dentists, hygienists and assistants performed extractions, fillings, fluoride treatments, sealants and cleaning for the children. Shown is Dr. Josh Bryan, left, of the dental group in Lewes treating Juan Angel-Estrada with assistance from Trevor Bowdenfrom the Sussex Tech assistance school. BY STEVEN BILLUPS
Volunteer Sarah Stanton from the Del Tech dental school, educates  Brianna Castillo on the proper brushing technique with a monkey in the crowded waiting room. BY STEVEN BILLUPS
Sarah Stanton, left, and Lacey Moffett, both second--year dental hygienist students at Del Tech, use a model for Kevin Vincete to demonstrate his  flossing knowledge. BY STEVEN BILLUPS
Finding a quiet place to wait over two hours are Keidy Ramirez Castillo, left, and Keiry Espaza. BY STEVEN BILLUPS

The Delaware State Dental Society sponsored its 12th Annual Give Kids a Smile program in Milford Feb. 6 at the dental offices of Norman S. Steward. Along with volunteers from Delaware Tech and Sussex Tech dental assists and hygienist, the program was able to treat over 140 children at the event. Besides treating the children, one of the main goals of GKAS is education along with trying to find a dental home for the children. Give Kids a Smile is a national program which began in February (National Children’s Dental Health Month) in 2002.

The American Dental Association serves as the national umbrella sponsor for GKAS events held throughout the country and throughout the year. Education, Oral Health Screenings, and comprehensive preventive and restorative treatment programs are held in all 50 states. In 2012, over 40,000 volunteers delivered care to over 400,000 underserved children in the GKAS program. The overarching message of GKAS is that even the high level of charitable care delivered by dentists every year will never solve the problem of untreated dental disease among the nation’s children. So a major purpose of GKAS is to influence government and society at large to work with dentistry to craft common sense, market-based solutions to access disparities.

The Delaware State Dental Society offers an online find-a-dentist resource at www.delawarestatedentalsociety.org.



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