On Friday, February 5, for the eighth annual ADA Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) day, some 50,000 dental professionals will volunteer and provide free services for more than 320,000 children at 2,000 sites throughout the U.S., the ADA estimates.
GKAS is the ADA's major effort to encourage parents, health professionals, and policymakers to address the issue of access to oral health. "We all know that a one-day event is not a delivery system and cannot solve the ongoing problem of untreated dental disease," said ADA President Ronald Tankersley, D.D.S. "It is important that policymakers at the federal and state level strengthen dental provisions in public health programs to help put children on the road to good oral health."
At the various sites, GKAS dental volunteers will provide educational materials, screenings and, where possible, free dental care such as cleanings, x-rays, and fillings.
"Although many children will benefit from the services provided through Give Kids A Smile, our concern is for the countless others who continue to suffer from untreated dental disease," Dr. Tankersley said. "We will continue to advocate for a larger and lasting way, through public policy, to ensure that kids who have been falling through the cracks in our delivery system receive the attention they need."
GKAS events take place during February's National Children's Dental Health Month, through the volunteer efforts of dentists and dental team members and the generous support of corporate sponsors.
In 2010, Colgate-Palmolive will supply 300,000 toothbrushes and 300,000 tubes of toothpaste for GKAS events; Dexis donates the use of its digital x-ray systems and support staff to U.S. dental schools requesting help; Henry Schein Dental will provide professional dental kits containing gloves, masks, patient bibs, dental floss, prophy paste, and fluoride products.
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