A record number of needy children received free dental care from Minnesota volunteer dentists and their staffs during the first quarter of 2010. The free care was provided to 6,069 children by a record number of volunteers during the Minnesota Dental Association's (MDA) Give Kids A Smile outreach.
The free care was provided in February when 538 dentists across the state opened their offices and clinics to provide completely free dental care to children whose families cannot otherwise afford the care. More than 3,000 dental professionals volunteered their time, and many offices will continue to see the children for free for needed follow-up care.
"Minnesota dentists are proud to help close the gap for thousands of low-income children who are not getting the dental care they need and deserve with all the government budget cuts," said Robert Templeton, D.M.D., president of the MDA. "But the public needs to know that charity care is no solution."
This year marks the eighth consecutive year the MDA has sponsored the Give Kids A Smile program. Since its inception, the program has served 38,000 young children, with the donated services topping $11 million in value. On average, each dentist in Minnesota donates $18,000 of care annually to their communities through a variety of charity care for children, seniors, the disabled, and families facing economic hardships, according to the MDA.
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