02/25/2010
Dentistry kicks off year with access to care programs

Liz Long
Staff Writer

Since National Children's Dental Health Month (NCDHM) began over 60 years ago, its message on the importance of good oral health has reached millions of children and their families across the country.

Each February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children's Dental Health Month to provide oral health education to all children regardless of their economic status and to raise awareness among families and policymakers about the importance of good oral health habits in children.

"Oral health is such an important part of a child's overall good health and yet it can be overlooked in young children," said Ohio Dental Association President Dr. Stephen Simpson. "It is important for member dentists to get out into their communities and stress that developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children start out on a lifetime of good health."

National Children's Dental Health Month began as a one-day event in Cleveland on Feb. 3, 1941, and the American Dental Association held the first national observance of Children's Dental Health Day on Feb. 8, 1949. This single-day observance became a week-long event in 1955, and in 1981 the program was extended to a month-long celebration known today as National Children's Dental Health Month.

"The Ohio Dental Association and its local dental societies take great pride in being a leader and celebrating National Children's Dental Health Month during the month of February," Simpson said.

For the last eight years, the month has kicked off with the ADA's national health outreach event, the Give Kids a Smile (GKAS) campaign. Since its inception, Give Kids a Smile has become the annual center piece to National Children's Dental Health Month and is designed to provide education and preventative and restorative care to low-income children who do not have access to care.

Nationally, over 1,900 GKAS events are scheduled to be held in the United States this year. It is anticipated that over 323,000 children will receive free treatment by nearly 13,000 member dentists and over 36,000 other volunteers.

"ODA member dentists throughout the state will go into schools to provide educational programs and provide treatment to underserved children in their offices and out in their communities on Give Kids a Smile day and throughout the year," Simpson said.

Give Kids a Smile events are planned at 75 different sites in Ohio and in all 25 local component dental societies throughout February. Over 700 Ohio Dental Association dentists and 1,400 volunteers are expected to provide free dental services to underserved children. Through 2010 GKAS events, it is anticipated that over 15,000 underserved Ohio children will receive more than $1.1 million in donated dental services.

"As an officer of the ODA, I am even more aware of the commitment and caring of our members throughout Ohio and just how much they give to our children in need," Simpson said.

The ODA's 2010 GKAS state kick-off was held at the Butler Technology Colerain Career Technical Center in Cincinnati on Friday, Feb. 5, in partnership with the Cincinnati Dental Society and in conjunction with the Northwest School District in Cincinnati.

Colgate again committed one of its Bright Smiles Bright Futures mobile dental units to the ODA kickoff event. The mobile unit was set up at three Cincinnati area schools Feb. 2-4, and volunteer dentists provided visual screenings to 450-500 elementary age students. The mobile unit was at the kickoff site on Feb. 5 for guests to tour.

In addition, an estimated 120 children prescreened earlier this year and diagnosed as needing dental care received exams, preventive and restorative treatment in the Butler Technology Colerain Career Technical Center dental assisting clinic on Feb. 5 and Feb. 19. These children came from other Cincinnati area schools and met specific criteria, including financial need and no Medicaid eligibility or other insurance.

Children from the visual screenings who have no resources for dental care, along with children from the GKAS care programs who need more care than can be completed in one day, are referred to Roselawn Dental Center for additional volunteer care from Cincinnati Dental Society dentists at later dates.

An NCDHM Program Planning Guide is available for download here. The guide helps program coordinators, dental societies, teachers and parents promote the benefits of good oral health to children. The guide includes easy-to-do activities, program planning timetable tips and much more.

Additionally, the ADA has free online resources that dentists, dental team members, teachers and parents can use (click here and here). The resources include oral health presentations, ideas for the classroom and coloring and activity handouts.

The ADA Catalog also has booklets, videos and other materials available for purchase (click here).

Members can also contact the ODA Public Service Department at (800) 282-1526 for more information on access to care programs.