AHOSKIE – The ECU School of Dental Medicine Ahoskie Community Service Learning Center held its annual “Give Kids A Smile” event on Friday to provide 30 underserved children with free dental services.

The center’s faculty, residents, students, and staff provided care for 30 first grade students from Bearfield Elementary School.

The “Give Kids A Smile” initiative is a program completely funded and supported by the American Dental Association and all services are provided are free of charge.

The dental staff provided children with dental cleanings, education, fluoride treatments, sealants and general screenings.

Dr. Ford Grant, director of general dentistry at the ECU Center, said a dentist or student-dentist near graduation would take note of any problems found and inform the parents of the first graders.

Nearly one in four children ages two to 11 has untreated cavities in their baby teeth, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many children enrolled in Medicaid receive no dental services throughout the year.

Grant said every child above one year old should get a check-up at least once a year to prevent dental problems before it leads to larger problems.

He said cavities in baby teeth can become infected and cause severe pain that distracts children from doing well in school.

The Give Kids A Smile is held annually across the nation to provide free, easily accessible dental services, especially for children without regular dental service.

The program also helps raise awareness of the epidemic of untreated dental disease occurring locally and nationally and creates local public and private partnerships to increase access to oral health care to solve this crisis.

The Give Kids A Smile has been conducted by the ECU Dental Center in Ahoskie for the past four years.

The American Dental Association (ADA) launched the Give Kids A Smile program nationally 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 to 400,000 children benefit from more than 1,500 events, all because of the efforts of 40,000 or more annual volunteers nationwide.

The dental professionals of the center were really looking forward to seeing and treating their young patients Friday.

The ADA says that oral health is connected to total health, so any financial barriers to providing good dental care should be a major concern for all.

“Preventive care is critical to maintaining good dental health and overall wellbeing,” Grant said, “and we will continue to participate in efforts to help those who need it,”

Grant said that since the 2012 inception of the ECU School of Dental Medicine in Ahoskie – the first of its kind in the state – faculty, residents, students, dental assistants, and dental hygienists have volunteered to deliver care to children locally on “Give Kids A Smile” Day.

It is sponsored annually by the East Central Dental Society.

The American Dental Association began the Give Kids A Smile program as a way for dentists to join with others in the community to provide dental services to underserved children.

The program initially began as a one-day event in February, but has since grown to local and national events year-round.

The Bearfield children also received a gift-bag filled with toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss, and drawings for how to take good care of their teeth.

The children had a great time on this outing, dancing to music in the waiting room with some staff at the center.

They were good patients and almost all said it was a good experience and that they had fun and felt no pain.