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Give Kids a Smile: Free Events Offer Dental Screenings and Care to Bay Area Children

January 31, 2020

Dental students, residents, faculty and staff volunteers from University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry are collaborating to offer two free community health events for local children and families as part of National Children’s Dental Health Month.

These special events offer children the opportunity to learn about oral health, get questions answered and have fun. The events also help raise awareness about the important role of ongoing dental care. Tooth decay is the most common chronic illness among school-age children in California and is four times more common than childhood asthma, according to Children Now. By kindergarten, more than 50 percent of children in California have already experienced dental decay and 28 percent have untreated decay. California students miss an estimated 874,000 days of school each year due to dental problems and children who reported having recent tooth pain were four times more likely to have a low grade point average.

Union City “Give Special Kids a Smile” Event
Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020, 9:00 am - 12:30 pm

At the school’s affiliated Union City Dental Care Center, the Dugoni School and the Southern Alameda County Dental Society are partnering to host a “Give Special Kids a Smile” event on Saturday, Feb. 8 from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm. Volunteers will offer free dental screenings for children and adults with physical and/or mild developmental disabilities. Each patient will receive a free dental screening, a free dental health kit with toothbrush, paste, floss and other goodies, and possible treatment procedures. Patients will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis, but parents, guardians and caretakers are strongly encouraged to register their patients in advance. There is no insurance required or requested at the event.

Location:
Union City Dental Care Center
1203 J Street
Union City, CA 94587
Map & Directions ›
For more information, please call 510.782.5316.
Event Details and Registration ›
 

San Francisco “Give Kids a Smile” Children’s Dental Health Fair
Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, 9:00 am - 1:30 pm

A free “Give Kids a Smile” dental health fair will be held on Saturday, Feb. 29 between 9:00 am and 1:30 pm at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry’s Hutto Patterson Pediatric Dentistry Clinic in downtown San Francisco. Kids are invited for free dental check-ups, cleanings, fluoride treatment, sealants, orthodontic evaluations, games, entertainment, Little Explorers’ Petting Zoo and more. More than $150 in free dental services will be provided to each child! The event is open to children up to age 17 (accompanied by an adult). No appointments are required. If questions, please call the pediatric clinic at 415.929.6550.

Location:
University of the Pacific
Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry
155 Fifth Street (at Minna)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Map & Directions ›
Event Details ›


Each year, the Dugoni School participates in the nationwide “Give Kids a Smile” program to serve local children and families, including those who may not have a dental home, or dentist whom they see regularly. “Give Kids a Smile” was started by the American Dental Association in 2003 as a way to encourage dentists to connect with their communities by providing dental services to underserved children.

 

Contact: Office of Marketing and Communications, 415.929.6434, pr@pacific.edu

Categories: Community Impact, Events, Featured, Oral Health, 2020

 

Contact: Office of Marketing and Communications, 415.929.6434, pr@pacific.edu