ATLANTA, February 3, 2020 – Dentists across Georgia are providing free dental care for children in the state as part of the Georgia Dental Association and its Foundation’s annual Give Kids a Smile Day on Friday, February 7. The volunteer initiative takes place each February in conjunction with Children’s Dental Health Month and provides dental screenings, treatment and education at no charge to underserved children in Georgia.
“Although largely preventable, tooth decay remains the most prevalent chronic disease found in children,” says GDA Foundation for Oral Health Chair, Dr. Ben Jernigan Jr. “Oral health education and prevention are key to ensuring good oral health from childhood into adulthood.”
Give Kids a Smile Day is one of the many programs hosted by the GDA Foundation for Oral Health to provide treatment and educate the public on the benefits of proper oral health. More than 100 Georgia Dental Association member dentists participate statewide, providing approximately $100,000 of donated care and services in just one day.
Give Kids a Smile Day in Georgia is part of a nationwide program launched by the American Dental Association in 2003 as a way for dentists to join with others in the community to provide dental services to underserved children. Each year, about 350,000 children benefit from more than 1,500 events, all because of the efforts of 40,000 or more annual volunteers nationwide.
For more information about Give Kids a Smile Day in Georgia, visit www.gadental.org/cdhm.
About the Georgia Dental Association
The Georgia Dental Association (GDA) is the state’s leading professional association representing dentists in the state. The premier source of oral health information in Georgia, GDA has promoted the highest standards of dentistry through education, advocacy and professionalism since 1859. A constituent of the American Dental Association, GDA is based in Atlanta.