February 22, 2010
There were lots of smiling kids on Friday, Feb. 5 thanks to Colorado dentists and dental professionals. About 250 dentists participated in the eighth annual Give Kids a Smile Day. In Colorado, this means children from low-income families without access to regular dental care are given free treatment and education by dental volunteers committed to this cause.
While GKAS Day won’t solve the local or national issue of access-to-care, it does draw attention to the struggle that many families face to obtain basic dental care. It also makes a huge difference in the lives of the families that are directly impacted. Some of these families even took the time this year to leave messages at the dental association following the event, thanking the association and its members for what they did on GKAS. The CDA is still compiling data from the event and will publish a final report in the April issue of the Journal of the Colorado Dental Association. If you have not sent in your GKAS superbills and reporting forms to the CDA, please fax these in at your soonest convenience to 303-740-7989. This is the ONLY method the CDA has to record the event’s donation to the community.
A very sincere thank you to every dentist, dental professional and dental team that participated in GKAS. Because of you and your selfless donation of time and resources, thousands of Colorado children were helped. Likewise, due to volunteers, this program generated media coverage throughout the state, which not only publicized the healthcare situation but also brought attention to the good that dentistry does for the community.
