Global Health Nexus, Winter 2004

Give Kids A Smile Day National Kick Off at NYU Dentistry

For the second year in a row, NYU Dentistry served as an official site for the American Dental Association’s (ADA’s) Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) kick off event on February 6 to call national attention to the silent epidemic of dental disease among underserved children. Hundreds of children received oral care at NYU Dentistry's Pediatric Clinic on Give Kids A Smile Day. The ADA estimated this nationwide initiative provided oral healthcare screening and treatment to more than one million underserved children.

Overall, thousands of sites across the country participated in the event to provide free pediatric dental services to needy children. In conjunction with the ADA and Long Island-based healthcare products distributor Henry Schein, Inc., NYU Dentistry provided free check ups, X-rays, sealants, and custom-fitted mouth guards to all participating children. Each child also received a gift bag filled with oral care products. Four local television stations covered the event, including NBC and ABC in New York.