25 February 2022

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Give Kids A Smile celebrates 20th anniversary

ADA’s signature access-to-care program has provided care to 7 million children over two decades

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“It’s a good day when you save a smile,” said Jeffrey Dalin, D.D.S., the co-founder of the St. Louis Give Kids A Smile program and the recipient of the ADA’s 2022 Humanitarian Award. “It’s a great day when you change a life.”

 The arrival of 2022 means that the ADA’s signature access-to-care program Give Kids A Smile is 20 years old, with a legacy of providing oral health services for 7 million children — and counting.

 To date, 954 Give Kids A Smile events are registered in the ADA’s online system for 2022 to provide services for more than 260,000 children. 

 Changing lives is a hallmark of Give Kids A Smile, which traditionally kicks off the first Friday of February in conjunction with National Children’s Dental Health Month. Events are held throughout the year: anytime volunteers have the time and inclination to help underserved children.

 “Giving back is a foundation of the dental profession and the ADA,” said Cesar R. Sabates, D.D.S., ADA president. “Across the country, about 6,500 dentists and 25,000 dental team members volunteer at local Give Kids A Smile events to provide free oral health education, screenings, preventive and restorative treatment to about 300,000 children annually. As GKAS enters its 20th year, the program continues to transform children’s lives by brightening their smiles. Its strong foundation ensures that Give Kids A Smile will carry on for many more years beyond this one.”

 The concept of Give Kids A Smile came from an ad-hoc committee of the Greater St. Louis Dental Society that was charged with coming up with ideas on how to give back to the community.

Continue reading at: https://www.ada.org/publications/ada-news/2022/january/give-kids-a-smile-celebrates-20th-anniversary

Source: www.ada.org