Give Kids A Smile Dental Clinic Underscores Critical Need in State
(Long Island, NY) Nassau County Dental Society will be sponsoring their 14th Annual Give Kids A Smile event
on March 24, 2017 at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York where an estimated 1700 under-served children will be provided with free dental service.
Nearly one in four children under the age of five already has cavities, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many children enrolled in Medicaid receive no dental services throughout the year.
“Give Kids A Smile” is held annually to:
- Provide free, easily accessible dental services to qualifying individuals.
- Raise awareness of the epidemic of untreated dental disease occurring locally and nationally and create local public and private partnerships to increase access to oral health care to solve this crisis.
The Nassau County Dental Society has been hosting “Give Kids A Smile” for 13 (thirteen) years in the community 
as a way to provide free dental care to local children who desperately need it. Over the years, these events have provided free dental care to 14,000 children that would have cost 1.4 million dollars.
The ADA Foundation’s “Give Kids A Smile” program was launched nationally in 2003 as a way for dentists to join with others in the community to provide dental services to under-served children. Each year, about 350,000 to 400,000 children benefit from more than 1,500 events, all because of the efforts of 40,000 or more annual volunteers nationwide.
Ronald McDonald and friends will be at the “Give Kids A Smile” event on March 24 in Garden City. Photo Credit: Long Island McDonald’s.
The high volume of patients participating in charitable events like “Give Kids A Smile” highlights a clear gap between those with,and without good dental health. Considering that oral health is connected to total health, financial barriers to dental care should be of major concern to the leaders of our state.
Long Island McDonald’s will be providing each child with a certificate for a complimentary Happy Meal. The children will also be entertained by Ronald McDonald from 9:30 am to 11:30 a.m. where they always wear a great big smile while they wait to receive their treatment.
