2017 marks the 15th anniversary of Give Kids a Smile (GKAS), held during National Children’s Dental Health Month, and in Colorado, the CDA’s program in conjunction with the CU School of Dentistry is getting a bit of a makeover. The program traditionally held at the CU School of Dental Medicine will forego its one-day GKAS clinic and turn instead to educating children and their families about the benefits of good oral health and preventative care.
Why the New GKAS?
The Medicaid dental benefit for children has been so successful in Colorado that fewer patients have sought treatment at the one-day clinic. Taking that into consideration, the CU School of Dental Medicine and the CDA have decided to take on a different approach, mobilizing dental students and interested dentists and dental professionals to give presentations that will educate children and their families about the importance of good oral health and offer screenings to patients. If you or members of your staff are interested in this opportunity, email Molly Pereira at molly@cdaonline.org.
GKAS in Dental Practices
The CDA is encouraging dental practices to take part in GKAS Day, which is Feb. 3, 2017, by offering programs in their offices.
Participating private offices are responsible for recruiting patients for their programs. The CDA will list all Colorado GKAS events on the its website to help school nurses and the public find GKAS appointments across the state. If you would like the CDA to list your office as a location with GKAS appointments available, email molly@cdaonline.org with following information:
- dentist’s name
- office address (where GKAS event will take place)
- phone number for appointments
- Spanish speaking/bilingual ability
- unique details regarding your event (i.e. hygiene only, screenings only, etc.).
Once your GKAS schedule is full, please let Molly know to remove you from the list.
About GKAS
GKAS is the nation’s largest proactive approach to help children from low-income families with their dental needs and to draw attention to the problem many families face when trying to access basic dental care. GKAS takes place in every state, and Colorado is fortunate to boast one of the nation’s success stories for this program.