ASDOH’s 7th Annual Give Kids A Smile Day
Dental News
by ErinAying | on June 22nd, 2012 |
Fear, a four-letter word that dentists encounter on a daily basis as patients sit down in a dental chair and ask, “Will this hurt?” For some this fear can be difficult to overcome, and in the eyes of a child it can prove to be an impenetrable obstacle.
This year Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health (ASDOH) held its 7th annual
Give Kids A Smile Day on Friday, April 13, where children from elementary schools around the city were brought by the bus-full to receive free dental treatment. This provided many children with a first time opportunity to receive oral healthcare. Dentists from the community as well as their staff, ASDOH’s own dentists and faculty, former graduates, and every ASDOH student across all four years came together for the sole purpose of helping these children who may have not had access to dental healthcare otherwise. From the perspective of a D2 student, it was pretty amazing to be a part of the nation’s largest Give Kids A Smile event. This year we were able to see over 320 kids in one morning.
Children began to arrive at 9:00am where they waited in line to receive various treatments ranging from cleanings, extractions and even stainless steel crowns. Post-treatment the kids were led outside where they were met with a wonderland of games, face painting, and prizes encompassed by live music. In addition to the myriad of activities famous characters such as the tooth fairy, Minnie Mouse, Tigger, Belle, Snow White, Pocahontas, and Jasmine made their rounds to say hello and ease the fears of some frightened children. The magnitude and success of this year’s event required extreme dedication and hard work from students and volunteers that spanned across many months of planning. The compassion that is evident in the hundreds of people that take part to run this event demonstrates the commitment that these healthcare providers and community dental volunteers have to the people they serve. Each year the event grows to become stronger with more volunteers and larger numbers of children treated. Therefore it is exciting to see what the next year will bring.
~Monica Kowalski, Arizona ’14
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