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Making a Difference in the Dental Health of Our County’s Neediest Children
Starting February 2002 with ADA’s inaugural Give Kids a Smile™ Day- and each Give Kids a Smile™ Day thereafter, SMCDS volunteers working in cooperation with San Mateo County Health Services Agency have provided dental services free of charge to children from three to 15 years of age who otherwise would not have received dental care, including: oral exams, dental education, oral prophylaxes, fluoride treatments, sealants, restorative treatment, and dental health kits. Here’s a little of our history:
| 2007 189/149 (79%) | 2009 137/105 (77%) |
| 2008 241/218 (90%) | 2010 184/150 (82%) |
| General | Ortho | Pedo | Total | Offices | |
| 2007 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 23 | 18 |
| 2008 | 21 | 3 | 4 | 29 | 24 |
| 2009 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 18 |
| 2010 | 20 | 2 | - | 22 | 18 |
Thanks to the generosity of our members, dental supply partner Henry Schein Dental, and ADA/CDA/SMCDS foundations outreach funding, 150 underserved children participating in the February 5, 2010 GKAS event received $45,478 in donated dental services, supplies, materials as summarized below.
| Procedure | # | ~Value | Total |
| Exam | 150 | $60 | 9,000 |
| BWX | 144 | $55 | 7,920 |
| PA's | 56 | $28 | 1,568 |
| Panorex | 4 | $92 | 368 |
| Prophy | 123 | $75 | 9,225 |
| Sealant | 187 | $50 | 9,350 |
| Fluoride | 66 | $19 | 1,254 |
| Restore: 1 Surface | 12 | $125 | 1,500 |
| Restore: 2 Surfaces | 11 | $135 | 1,485 |
| Restore: 3 Surfaces | 2 | $150 | 300 |
| Pulpotomy | 1 | $200 | 200 |
| Extraction | 3 | $111 | 333 |
| Pulp Cap | 1 | $125 | 125 |
| Services | $42,628 | ||
| Disposable Supplies (HS) | 150 | $5 | 750 |
| Dental Materials | 150 | $12 | 1,800 |
| Child's Oral Health Kit | 150 | $2 | 300 |
| Supplies/Materials | $2,850 | ||
| Total Services and Supplies | $45,478 |
We invite you to add your support to the Give Kids a Smile™ program, whether on Give Kids a Smile Day or another day better suited to your office schedule. Our hope is to provide a broader range of services and to improve not only the dental health of an even greater number of children but awareness within the community and among law- and policy-makers of the on-going challenges low-income children and children with disabilities face in accessing dental care. Even with the high level of charitable care delivered by dentists every year, we will never solve the problem of untreated dental disease among our children without their support in creating common sense, market-based solutions to access disparities.
Give Kids a Smile Day is usually the first Friday in February. Interested in getting involved this year?