Indianapolis, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the host of the American Dental Association’s (ADA) 2020 Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) national kickoff event tomorrow, volunteers at the Indiana University (IU) School of Dentistry will provide free oral health services to about 250 local children in need. Children at the event will receive dental exams, cleanings, fillings, crowns, extractions, fluoride, sealants, X-rays and oral health education.
“Financial barriers are a major reason people forgo necessary oral health care,” said Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch, D.D.S., Ph.D., dean of the IU School of Dentistry. “Give Kids A Smile is one of the many ways the dental school helps underserved families receive the oral healthcare they need, and engages with our community here in Indianapolis to reduce barriers to accessing this care.”
More than 6 million children have received free oral health services through Give Kids A Smile since the program’s national launch in 2003. In 2020 alone, more than 300,000 children in need across the U.S. will receive free oral health services including oral health education, screening, preventive care and restorative treatment from nearly 6,500 volunteer dentists and 25,000 other dental team and community volunteers at 1,400 GKAS events. GKAS events range from those that provide services to hundreds of children in a day, to individual dentists providing pro-bono oral health services and a dental home to one or several children under the GKAS banner.
“Give Kids A Smile demonstrates the positive impact our profession can have when we come together,” said ADA President Chad Gehani, D.D.S. “The program is a great example of volunteers using their time and skills to make a difference. I want to thank all GKAS volunteers and the Indiana University School of Dentistry for hosting the kickoff event.”
The national kickoff would not be possible without the support of its generous sponsors, including Henry Schein, Inc. and Colgate-Palmolive.
“Serving as the exclusive professional product sponsor since the program’s inception, Henry Schein is pleased to continue supporting Give Kids A Smile because it aligns with our mission to ‘help health happen’ for underserved communities,” said Michele Penrose, chairperson, ADA Give Kids A Smile National Advisory Committee, and director, Global Professional Relations, Henry Schein. “By building public-private partnerships, along with the ADA and other like-minded organizations, we are raising awareness of the silent epidemic of oral disease in children across the United States. Together with our supplier partners, we are delighted to have donated products and services valued at more than $18 million since 2003 and we look forward to helping to contribute to the success of this wonderful program for years to come.”
“Colgate-Palmolive is honored to partner with the ADA by providing our consumer dental products to children at Give Kids A Smile events,” said Barbara Shearer, B.D.S., M.D.S., Ph.D., Colgate-Palmolive’s director of scientific affairs. “It’s inspiring to see so many people come together to make a difference in the lives of children.”
For more information about how Give Kids A Smile programs are organized across the country, please visit ADA.org. And to learn more about Give Kids A Smile programs taking place in your area, please contact the ADA or your state or local dental association.
Give Kids A Smile is also the anchor event of the ADA’s National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM). This year's NCDHM campaign slogan is, "Fluoride in water prevents cavities! Get it from the tap!"
To learn more about good oral health habits, visit MouthHealthy.org.
Editor’s Note: Photos available upon request following the event. Reporters are invited to follow the ADA on Twitter @AmerDentalAssn
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About the American Dental Association
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing 163,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit ADA.org. For more information on oral health, including prevention, care and treatment of dental disease, visit the ADA's consumer website MouthHealthy.org
About the Indiana University School of Dentistry
The only dental school in the Hoosier state, Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD) offers an extraordinary learning environment in which teaching, research, and community service come together in the best way possible for the preparation of tomorrow’s dental professionals. Founded in 1879, the school is located at the center of Indiana, in the heart of the state capital of Indianapolis. It is situated on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), one of eight campuses in the IU system. IUPUI shares its location with the world-renowned IU medical school and its partner, the IU Health academic health center. Over 80% of the Dentists in Indiana are alumni of the Indiana University School of Dentistry, and IUSD Faculty invented the world’s first fluoride toothpaste. For more information visit IUSD at dentistry.iu.edu.
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