Dentists across the United States are organising a National event called ‘Give A Kid A Smile’. The event takes place every February and October each year.
The idea behind the event is to offer children free dental care, and to educate them on the necessity of looking after their teeth.
Although it is a National campaign, dentists and many other dental professionals including dental assistants and hygienists will be in on hand at local events. Which means hundreds of dental practices across the USA will be opening them for all children between the ages of 3 and 17.
Despite its name, the ‘Give A Kid A Smile Day’ campaign is a week long between the 2nd and 7th of February, with most events being held on Saturday the 5th.
The way it works is by inviting children into dental practices. A variety of services will be offered including check ups, fillings, extractions and cleaning treatments. Some practices will also be offering preventative treatments.
With a lack of dental insurance cover for many families in the USA, dentists believe this is an excellent way to help children who are not covered by insurance, particularly for those children whose parents cannot afford it.
Dentists organising the bi-annual event have said they are expecting a bigger than normal turn out this time as a growing number of people are now unable to afford dental insurance, or are having difficulties paying, mainly due to the increasing cost of premiums.
This problem has resulted in a number of dentists opening free dental clinics across the country. Dentists that have done so also report a swamp, with many people queuing for hours to get an appointment.