Each year on the first Friday in February, thousands of the nation’s dentists and their dental team members provide free oral health care services to children from low-income families across the country.
The American Dental Association’s Give Kids A Smile program—celebrating a 10 year anniversary in 2012—enhances the oral health of large numbers of needy children. Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) activities also highlight for policy makers the ongoing challenges that disadvantaged families face in finding dental care.
Locally, 21 Central Oregon dentists plus their staff and additional volunteers are participating in the program, which is coordinated through the non-profit Kemple Memorial Children’s Dental Clinic. 75 percent of Central Oregon dental practitioners volunteer with the clinic throughout the year, a much higher percentage than the national average. Approximately 50 local children will receive desperately needed dental services on the day of the event.
Nearly one in four children, aged two to 11 years old have untreated cavities in their baby teeth, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Dental disease among kids from underserved families is epidemic. 80 percent of children’s tooth decay is found in just 25 percent of children,” said Dr. Cate Quas of Bluefish Dental. “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; they can’t concentrate in school, not to mention how it affects them emotionally.”
In Central Oregon the program has expanded to reach beyond just one day of service. In January, pre-screenings of all eligible children were completed free of charge by Dr. Blair Struble of Gobeille Orthodontics and Drs. Cate Quas, Sue Armstrong and John Frachella and the staff of Bluefish Dental. Also volunteering at the pre-screenings were students from the Dental Assisting programs at Central Oregon Community College and local high schools.
“Prescreening the children prior to the Give Kids A Smile® day is important because it means that on the day of the event they can receive actual needed treatment, such as fillings,” said Vicki Matthews, Clinic Coordinator for Kemple Memorial Children’s Dental Clinic. “It also means that we can match up each individual child with the appropriate volunteer dental office so that their needs are best met.”
Additionally, many offices (dentists and staff) donate their services to take on one or multiple children’s comprehensive dental needs on an ongoing basis throughout the year.
“The benefit of a dental office taking on the comprehensive care of a child is enormous in that the child’s cavities can be completely removed and cooperation is improved through continuity of care,” said Dr. Ben Grieb of River Park Family Dentistry. “Additionally, the child and parent benefit from the education and preventive information that comes from the stable relationship with a dental practice—something that is documented over and over in the pediatric dental literature on the benefits of having a dental home.”
All of the children seen on GKAS day will have their treatment completed if needed by dentists volunteering with the program.
“It is important to know that there is a lot going on behind the scene on that day and beyond because of the willingness of dentists here in Central Oregon to contribute to children of our community,” said Matthews.
KEMPLE MEMORIAL CHILDREN’S DENTAL CLINIC
Established in 1998 by Dr. H. M. Kemple, the mission of the Kemple Memorial Children’s Dental Clinic is to provide emergency dental services to school age children in Deschutes County who cannot access dental care. Dr. Kemple’s dream to ensure that all children in our community are provided with quality dental care regardless of ability to pay continues to thrive despite his passing in 2007. A volunteer Board of Directors continues to pursue meeting the ever-growing and changing needs of our Central Oregon community. Partnerships with local dental professionals and agencies such as the Family Access Network, Healthy Beginnings and Head Start are vital to the success of the organization. Since its inception the clinic has steadily increased its caseload, treating an average of 600 children and providing over 3000 treatments (donated professional services average
$300,000) annually.
Info: Vicki Matthews at 541-617-1653.
