The next Give Kids A Smile is Friday, February 6, 2009. Update 2008 Program Results .

ADAF GKAS Awards Gala
The ADA Foundation is hosting the first Give Kids A Smile Awards Gala to benefit its Give Kids A Smile Fund. This fund was formed to award grants to access-to-care programs and otherwise support the expansion of Give Kids A Smile. Read more.

Wrigley Supports Give Kids A Smile
The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. has stepped up as a major supporter of Give Kids A Smile, donating $100,000 to underwrite the upcoming Gala and up to $100,000 based on February sales of sugar-free gum to support Program Growth Grants to promote access to care for the underserved.  The company’s initial donation was recognized in the Feb. 4 ADA News.  Wrigley also is a Premier Sponsor of the Give Kids A Smile Gala.

Register now for the Second Give Kids A Smile® Promising Practices Symposium
Register now for the Second Give Kids A Smile Promising Practices Symposium. Based on participant feedback from last year, this year’s symposium has an entirely new agenda.

The Dental Trade Alliance Foundation (DTAF) and the American Dental Association (ADA) are hosting the second Give Kids A Smile Promising Practices Symposium on June 12-14, 2008 at the ADA Headquarters in Chicago, IL.

All those interested in enhancing their programs and sharing ideas with their counterparts nationwide are cordially invited. Learn more.

Want to win $500 for your GKAS program?
It's easy to be eligible!  Just update your Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) 2008 program results by June 2.

By updating your previously entered program information, it will allow us to more accurately gauge national participation and share actual results with legislators and others working for dental access for children.

Winners will be notified by June 6 and announced at the 2008 Promising Practices Symposium, June 13. Update your program results.

Den-Tek to donate 'Fun Flossers' for product kits
The ADA welcomes the latest company to donate products for Give Kids A Smile programs. DenTek Oral Care Inc. has donated 150,000 individually wrapped flossers. Read more.

Give Kids A Smile Letter to the Editor
An excellent example of taking the opportunity to tell the “Give Kids A Smile” story is Dr. Richard Wiberg, president of the Minnesota Dental Association, opinion piece to the editors of the St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press. It was printed by the daily newspaper on January 23 and titled, “Two days of free dental care for needy kids helps, but won't solve the problem.”

• Letter to the Editor | PDF file/23k

What's the difference between Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) and National Children's Dental Health Month (NCDHM)?
Give Kids A Smile is an annual centerpiece to National Children's Dental Health Month and is observed every year on the first Friday in February, while NCDHM is celebrated during the entire month of February. National Children's Dental Health Month focuses on providing oral health education to all children despite their economic status. Give Kids A Smile was designed to provide education, preventative and restorative care to low-income children who do not have access to care.

Learn More: National Children's Dental Health Month