The message from the American Dental Association is pretty clear.
“It is simply unacceptable that thousands upon thousands of children in 21st century America suffer needlessly from untreated dental disease.”
Pediatric dentist Dr. Gina Graziani concurs. “We continue to see an increase in the volume of pediatric patients who need emergency and comprehensive care due to early childhood caries. If we can get more people willing to come for an exam and early intervention, it can help decrease dental disease burden in our children,” said the chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at West Virginia University School of Dentistry.
Give Kids a Smile day at WVU Dental is Friday, Feb. 4, 2022 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Faculty and student dentists can examine as many as 135 patients, but appointments are required and are first come, first served. Children ages one to 17 could be eligible for the free screening and fluoride treatments. For an appointment, call 304-293-6208.
There are a number of signs parents could see that would indicate their child needs to visit the dentist.
“An initial sign of tooth decay (cavity) is discoloration of the teeth, from bright white to dark colors. With larger cavities and subsequent tooth infection, a child may also suffer from pain and/or swelling. Should you notice tooth discoloration, tooth pain with or without facial swelling in your children, visit your local dentist right away,” Graziani said.
Visits on Give Kids A Smile® day are brief. Under the supervision of faculty dentists, dental and dental hygiene students spend about 45 minutes introducing children to what it is like to visit the dentist.
“A dental clinic is full of new sights, sounds, tastes, textures and experiences for your child. We will use the visit to introduce your child to the dental chair and how it moves, the lights and that help us see the teeth, the tastes, noises and textures of having their teeth cleaned and rinsed all while having their oral health examined,” Graziani explained.
Give Kids A Smile® was launched nationally by the American Dental Association in 2003. Each year, approximately 7,000 dentists and 30,000 dental team members volunteer at GKAS events in their communities to provide free oral health education, dental screenings and treatment to about 300,000 children. To date, more than 6 million underserved children have received free oral health services through GKAS.