10 years of beautiful smiles for children in need
Thousands of volunteers are now preparing to celebrate 10 years of the MDA's annual charitable program, Give Kids a Smile! On Friday, Feb. 3, and Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012, they will offer free dental care to children whose families face barriers to care. A variety of services will be available in about 200 locations throughout the state.
View a list of participating clinics and find out more about Give Kids a Smile
Check out the latest Give Kids a Smile newsletter to read how the program makes a life-changing impact on children and volunteers alike.
Along with the satisfaction of helping children protect and restore their dental health, volunteer dentists are always gratified to see so many beautiful smiles! You can see some of these smiles, too, by visiting our 2011 photo page. To view last year's wrap-up newsletter, click here.
Thanks to loyal sponsors -- 3M ESPE Dental Products and HealthPartners -- the Minnesota Dental Association is able to advertise this program across the state to make sure families know about this opportunity for free care. The Minnesota Dental Association also works directly with hundreds of schools, organizations and agencies to promote this program to families in need.
To receive reminders and updates about this program, please sign up for e-mail notices by dropping us a note at gkas@mndental.org (if you haven’t already). We also invite you to follow us on Facebook (search for Give Kids a Smile – Minnesota) for announcements and Twitter.
Promote Give Kids a Smile
Spread the word about your Give Kids a Smile event by distributing these fliers to organizations in your community that serve low-income children. Some examples include Head Start programs, county social services offices, school nurse offices, low-income medical clinics and more. This is an effective way to target children who can most benefit from free dental care. If you have other suggestions to share, please drop us a note at gkas@mndental.org.
Classroom Take-home Flier (English)
Classroom Take-home Flier (Spanish)
Classroom Take-home Flier (Hmong)
Classroom Take-home Flier (Vietnamese)
Classroom Take-home Flier (Somali)
Classroom Take-home Flier (Russian)
GKAS Promotional Flier (general) - English
GKAS Promotional Flier (fill-in-the blank) - English
GKAS Promotional Flier (general) - Spanish
GKAS Promotional Flier (fill-in-the blank) - Spanish
Keep visiting this site for additional materials as they become available, including classroom hand-outs in multiple languages.
See how Give Kids a Smile impacts a local child in this report from WCCO TV and the MDA.
Smiles Change Lives
The Minnesota Dental Association is proud to inform families about the “Smiles Change Lives” program, which provides orthodontic care in private orthodontic offices in many areas throughout Minnesota. This program serves children ages 11 to 18 who have a significant malocclusion, can be treated in one stage, have good oral hygiene and cannot afford orthodontic treatment. Applicants need to be below 200% of the federal poverty level. If accepted into the program, the orthodontic treatment will be provided at a greatly reduced fee. For an application call 888-900-3554 or visit http://www.smileschangelives.org/.
Reduced-cost clinics are available year round
Give Kids a Smile provides two days of free dental care for low-income children in need. In some cases, more immediate dental attention may be necessary. To assist you in finding ongoing dental services, the Minnesota Dental Association has compiled a list of clinics that may take medical assistance, general assistance, or offer services on a sliding fee scale. Please note that information on this list is subject to change.
Before making an appointment, please call the appropriate clinic to discuss your needs and clarify fees, eligibility and other details. Click here to find Resources for Ongoing Care.
2011 Pediatric Dental News
Learning good dental habits during childhood can result in a lifetime of healthy teeth. From infancy, there are actions you can take to promote good oral hygiene. Earlier this year, the MDA and WCCO partnered on a pediatric dental health series to provide you with an indepth look at the following topics: