Give Kids a Smile Day
Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County
Friday, February 4th – Saturday, February 5th, 2017
This February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. The 12th annual Give Kids A Smile Day is a two-day event during which dental professionals provide free dental care and public health officials seek to raise awareness of the state of dental wellness in the county.
On Friday, February 5th, and Saturday, February 6th, more than 200 dental professionals will come together to provide free dental services, by appointment, to more than 400 children from low-income families at 10 sites countywide. Services offered will be dental exams, kindergarten screenings, cleanings, fluoride applications and if needed, same day treatment of painful cavities.
Recent surveys of Sonoma County kindergarten and third graders have found half of students have evidence of tooth decay and 18 percent have untreated decay. Dental decay can negatively impact sleep cycles, eating habits and the ability to concentrate and learn in school.
Dental volunteers from the Redwood Empire Dental Society and the Redwood Dental Hygienists Society are working to increase access to critically needed dental care for low-income children and promote greater public awareness of this serious health issue. The 12th annual celebration Give Kids A Smile Day Event, coordinated by Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County and supported by the Department of Health Services and Dental Health Network, helps prepare children for a healthier start to a smarter tomorrow. As a result of CAPS’ dental programs and their community partners, more than 8,700 children have received preventive dental services to date.
Ten sites are participating this year: five community clinics, four private dentists and one dental hygiene clinic throughout the county:
– St. Joseph Dental Health Clinic
– Indian Health Dental Clinic
– Alliance Dental Clinic
– Russian River Dental Clinic
– Fountaingrove Dentistry
– Sahouria Pediatric Dentistry
– Sonoma Pediatric Dentistry
– Santa Rosa Junior College
– Rohnert Park Dental Village – J. Kenji Reyda, DDS
– Petaluma Health Center Dental Clinic (Rohnert Park)
Things parents can do to keep their child’s teeth healthy include:
– Children should see a dentist no later than their first birthday.
– Help your children brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
– Help your children floss once a day.
– Provide healthy food and drink options to your children that are low in sugar.
– Visit a dentist regularly to address any tooth decay before it develops into greater health issues.
To make an appointment:
(707) 544-5638, Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
To volunteer or make a donation:
Cory Spencer
(707) 544-6911 ext. 1083
cspencer@capsonoma.org
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