Students, Faculty Give Kids a Smile with Free Care

 

Some of the Penn Dental Medicine students and staff who provided free care on Give Kids a Smile Day.

Philadelphia — Penn Dental Medicine students and faculty provided free dental care to area children on April 1 as part of Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY)’s Give Kids a Smile Day.

Care was provided within the School’s Pediatric Clinic by residents and faculty within the Pediatric Dentistry Program as well as by DMD students. Penn Dental Medicine was one of 12 dental practices taking part in this annual day of care organized by PCCY, providing care to approximately 75 children.

“We were excited to open our Pediatric Clinic through this day of service to children in the community,” says Dr. Betty Harokopakis-Hajishengallis, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Dentistry. “We provided them with a thorough dental examination with x-rays and an application of fluoride varnish.”

The 12 dental practices in West Philadelphia and Delaware County participating in the Give Kids a Smile Day treated nearly 380 children during the event.

“Approximately 17,000 children in Philadelphia are not enrolled in health insurance and do not receive regular dental care,” says Dr. Joan Gluch, Director of Community Oral Health at Penn Dental Medicine. “This event is organized to not only provide children with much-needed care, but also to help enroll families in public health insurance programs, and Penn Dental was pleased to be part of it.”

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