14th Annual Give Kids A Smile Day: Free Dental Care February 5, 2016
Participating Dentists (140) · Info/Eligibility · More Low-Cost Dental Resources · New Jersey Pediatric Dentists · Donate
Source: New Jersey Dental Association
Friday, February 5, 2016, marks the fourteenth year of Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) Day in collaboration with the New Jersey Dental Association and the American Dental Association Foundation.
Give Kids A Smile was launched nationally in 2003 by the American Dental Association as a way for dentists to join with others in the community to provide free, easily accessible dental services to uninsured and underserved children age 11 and under.
Many children enrolled in Medicaid receive no dental services throughout the year, which often leads to a need for more costly emergency treatment. Even with supplementary support from outside resources, many often go without preventive dental care:
Nearly one quarter of children aged 2 to 11 have untreated cavities in their baby teeth, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Preventive care is critical to maintaining good dental health and overall well-being, and we will continue to participate in efforts to help those who need it,” says Dr. Cavan Brunsden of KidZdent pediatric dentistry in Old Bridge. “Oral health is integral to overall health. Untreated dental disease is painful and affects a child’s physical, emotional and social development. Kids with untreated dental decay can’t eat or sleep properly and can’t concentrate in school, not to mention how it affects them emotionally.”
To see if their children qualify, parents should call their local GKAS dentist as soon as possible, who they can find on this list of nearly 140 offices throughout all 21 of New Jersey’s counties. If February 5 isn’t doable, the New Jersey Dental Association offers a listing of other low- or no-cost dental resources, and here’s where you can find more New Jersey pediatric dentists.