Today, March 11, marked the last Friday of the district-wide Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) program, which began in February as part of the National Children’s Dental Health Month.  This time, another group of East Baton Rouge Parish School System (EBRPSS) first- and second-grade students received free dental exams and treatment at Just Kids Dental.

As other local dentists have done in the program, those at Just Kids Dental volunteered office time, services and equipment to provide students with free screenings, oral hygiene instruction, general dental check-ups and sometimes cleanings or sealant applications.  DeQualon Haywood (pictured in dental chair, left), a first grader at Delmont Elementary School, was all smiles after his check-up at the dental office. 

The Give Kids A Smile Project was also held on three days in February when area dentists closed up shop just to take care of the dental needs of about 600 EBRPSS students selected for assistance.  Consent packets were sent home with qualifying students in first and second grades at elementary schools near participating dental offices.  Parents or guardians returned the completed forms for children to be able to participate in this free dental program.

The Louisiana Dental Association (LDA), the Greater Baton Rouge Dental Association, Health Centers in Schools (HCS), the Children’s Coalition of Greater Baton Rouge and EBRPSS are teaming up to provide educational materials and dental screenings, as well as preventive care, to selected low-income children who do not have access to proper dental care. The effort is part of the American Dental Association’s (ADA) National Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) program and also, in part, to acknowledge February as national Children’s Dental Health Month.  The ADA’s and LDA's roles in the GKAS project is to function as an umbrella for the numerous charitable education, screening, prevention and comprehensive treatment programs already in existence.  According to the national Center for Disease Control, nearly one in four children between the ages of 2 and 11 years old has untreated cavities in their baby teeth. Many children enrolled in Medicaid receive no dental services throughout the year.