Give Kids a Smile 2015: Healthy Smiles, Healthy Kids!

Featured in the picture are the coordinators on the right (Arielle Castine and Gabrielle Zuzo) and D2 coordinators on the left (Teddy Eusebio and Betsey Baumann-Smeenge), plus Toothy!

Months of planning and coordinating go into a dental clinic that only runs from 9am-2pm. Reaching schools, community health centers, and more, we strive for a great turn-out the day of the event.

The night before Give Kids a Smile, I woke up repeatedly throughout the night, eager and anxious for the next day.  When I showed up bright and early on March 28th, families were already waiting to be seen at 7:00am, even though registration did not begin until 8:30am.

We had an abundance of volunteers, and they were there early to help. Because of the help of 125 dental students and dental hygiene students, our day was successful! With the help of ten faculty volunteers and two community dentists, our day ran smoothly and we provided lots of free dental care.

In the waiting room area, we had an extensive oral hygiene set-up, which our dental hygiene students and pre-dental students ran, which helped out tremendously. They had coloring tables, a “Rethink Your Drink” station that showed the sugar levels of popular beverages, and lots more fun stuff for kids! While sitting at registration, I saw students actively engaging children by reading them stories and coloring with them. Even our school mascot “Toothy,” was present and bringing huge smiles to the faces of all the kids and parents.

Calculating the totals for the day, we ended up providing between $9,000-10,000 of work, based on procedure costs in the UMSOD Pediatric Clinic. We saw 38 children, and provided a range of treatment, from exams and prophies to extractions and pulpotomies.  We had patients from a wide range of backgrounds and even had students interpreting various languages for the families and providers.

The time and effort put in by our students, faculty, and outside volunteers make this event successful year after year. Our generous sponsor, the Washtenaw District Dental Society provides donations and time to event every year, and we are extremely grateful.

Now that Michigan has implemented better dental insurance plans for children, this was an extremely successful turnout. We had a great interest in parents registering their children as permanent patients at the school. Our ultimate goal is creating a dental home for these families, and I believe we truly made an impact on these families.

Arielle Castine was the co-coordinator of Give Kids a Smile 2015. We are so grateful to these amazing coordinators for giving their time to ensure this annual event comes together.  We are truly a community taking care of a community.  ~ School of Dentistry

For more Give Kids a Smile 2015 pictures, see Flickr. For more information, see the School of Dentistry story.