Dental Students to Provide Free Care to Local Children

Posted on Feb. 1, 2024

The Adams School of Dentistry on Feb. 2 will offer free oral health care services to children in the community as part of its 11th annual Give Kids A Smile event.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., children 17 and under will receive complimentary preventative and restorative dental care, including routine exams, cleanings and fillings. The school will also provide oral health education, and clinical care providers will share information with parents on sustaining their children’s long-term oral health.

UNC’s Give Kids A Smile is a local initiative aligned with the American Dental Association’s nationwide program launched in 2003 that has provided free oral health care for more than 6 million underserved children.

Carolina dental students help plan and staff the event sponsored by the Adams School of Dentistry, which last year contributed almost $90,000 in free dental care.

Children from low-income families are twice as likely to have cavities compared with those from higher-income households, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The program makes dental services more accessible to all children, and Adams officials expect to reach more than 200 children at the event.