Englewood Dental is Giving Kids A Smile This February
Did you know that millions of underprivileged children in the U.S. go without receiving dental care every year? The Centers for Disease Control claims that tooth decay is known to be one of the most common chronic childhood conditions, leading to serious health issues into adolescence and late adulthood. Unfortunately, as family income levels decrease, the amount of tooth decay and dental issues increase.
40% of New Jersey citizens said “cost” was the primary reason they did not visit their dentist more frequently. Families with lower income who find it hard to put food on the table, often put dental care at the bottom of their priority list, sometimes even cutting it out completely. The damaging effects of little to no dental care can result in a myriad of non-dental related health issues. The cycle continues as smaller salaries lead to the favoring of cheap food options, which typically contain processed ingredients that worsen oral health. These alarming statistics led to the American Dental Association’s (ADA) creation of Give Kids A Smile, an organization that gives free dental care to underprivileged children.
The Give Kids A Smile program launched by the ADA in 2003 as a way to spread awareness, as well as provide screenings, treatment, and education to children in New Jersey. Since the launch of the program, more than 5.5 million disadvantaged children have been given free oral health services. All of these services are provided by approximately 40,000 volunteer dentists and dental team members.
This year, Englewood Dental is hosting our 5th Annual GKAS event on Friday, February 1, from 9 am to 1 pm (Give Kids A Smile Day!). At this event, we will be offering free dental care to children 12 and under who do not have a dental home and cannot afford access to dental care. Our office will be hosting the GKAS event during Children’s Dental Health Month (February) along with additional initiatives to promote pediatric dental health awareness and encourage regular dental checkups and preventive care practices at home.
Participation in these events is a great way for communities and dental practices to ultimately terminate the dental health crisis children and families are facing. Remember the way you monitor your family’s dental health now, will affect them for the rest of their lives. Let us help you February 1st, 2019, by expanding your child’s access to dental care!
Schedule your child’s checkup today! Call us at 201-871-3556 or click here to connect with us online.
