The ADA Foundation recently honored its Give Kids a Smile® Fund grant recipients. The funds allow recipients to improve access to care for children in underserved communities.
This year’s recipients included the following: the Southern IllinoisUniversity Dental Hygiene Program, the University of Nevada Las VegasSchool of Dental Medicine, Smiles and Blessings Inc, the Virginia OralHealth Coalition, Bethany for Children and Families, and the SanFrancisco Department of Public Health Dental Services. The recipientswill use the grants to develop and execute care management systems forchildren screened during the February 2011 Give Kids a Smile Day toprovide needed dental care.
In addition, $25,000 in Program Champion Grants was awarded to fourestablished national oral health programs. The Dr. Samuel D. HarrisNational Museum of Dentistry will use the award to increase oral healthliteracy by updating and distributing “Mouth Power Kits” to Title 1schools in Baltimore. Smiles Change Lives will make pro bono orthodonticcare available to additional children. Team Smile will add equipment atTeam Smile events to provide more underserved children with dentalcare. And, the National Association of School Nurses will develop oralhealth awareness material specifically for children and youth who aredisadvantaged and at risk for dental disease.
For the fourth consecutive year, CareCredit donated $100,000 to the fund.
Practices interested in participating in the Give Kids a Smile Day on February 3, 2012, can find more information here.
