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By Judy Jakush

In his Feb. 5 visit to the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry, Gov. Pat Quinn greeted a roomful of familiar faces, faces he's seen many times during the past six years.

In 2003, then-Lt. Gov. Quinn helped the American Dental Association and UIC kick off the first national observance of Give Kids A Smile and, as the other participants in the press conference he headlined noted, he's remained consistent in his support ever since.

	GKAS booster: On Feb 5 Ill. Gov. Pat Quinn (far right) reprised his past visits to Give Kids A Smile at the University of Illinois College of Dentistry. Joining him, from right, were Dr. Indru Punwani, head of the UIC Department of Pediatric Dentistry; Dr. Bruce Graham, UIC dental dean; Paula Allen-Meares, Ph.D., UIC chancellor; and B. Joseph White, Ph.D., president, University of Illinois.

At this year's UIC GKAS event, he attended in his status as governor—a title gained only one week before his visit to the UIC dental pediatric clinic to see children from St. Malachy Elementary School receiving prophys and fluoride treatments.

"Why are we here today? We are here today because we do believe in decent health care for everyone and that starts with oral health care," the governor told the media crowded in a classroom outside the pediatric dental clinic.

During his tenure as lieutenant governor, Gov. Quinn worked with a coalition of state legislators and state dental groups to help pass a law requiring dental examinations before kindergarten, second grade and sixth grade. His most recent efforts were last year on behalf of a bill that added a checkbox to the Illinois income tax form for Healthy Smiles.

Explained Gov. Quinn, "We hope to get people in Illinois to donate voluntarily, whether it's a dollar or $10 or whatever you wish to give. This will provide money for sealant and preventive dental programs across Illinois."

Dr. Indru Punwani, head of the UIC Department of Pediatric Dentistry, explained why the group was gathered. "We recognize this event annually to acknowledge and draw attention to the very serious lack of oral health care for children from underserved families in Illinois and across the country.

"It was in this very room on Feb. 21, 2003, that the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Dentistry at UIC, had the privilege of collaborating with the American Dental Association on the launching of first national Give Kids A Smile day. Then-Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn was here to participate in the event. The following October, because of his interest in children's oral health, he inaugurated the Illinois Healthy Smiles Day in collaboration with this department and the College of Dentistry at UIC.

With the exception of last February when he was snowbound in Springfield, the governor has come here every six months to participate in these events, noted Dr. Punwani.

Dr. Robert Bitter, secretary, Illinois State Dental Society, noted that the ISDS has launched a campaign called "Bridge to Healthy Smiles" to begin to address the dental needs of the underserved in Illinois.

"The campaign looks to correct problems with our state dental Medicaid program; it looks to obtain funds to help establish additional public dental clinics throughout Illinois; and thirdly, we hope to recruit and keep dental school graduates here in Illinois and encourage them to begin dental practices in one of the many underserved areas in our state."

Also speaking at the event were Dr. Bruce Graham, UIC dental dean; Paula Allen-Meares, Ph.D., UIC chancellor; B. Joseph White, Ph.D., president, University of Illinois; Niranjan S. Shah, chair of the UI Board of Trustees; Dr. Laura Neumann, senior vice present, ADA Division of Education/Professional Affairs; Dr. David Kumamoto, president, Chicago Dental Society; Dr. Sahar Alrayyes, clinical director, pediatric predoctoral clinic; and Bridgid Miller, principal, St. Malachy Elementary School.

From the principal's perspective, the visits to UIC pediatric dental clinic are both a learning experience and a treat for her pupils.

"We are a school that really does serve an underserved population in terms of oral care," said Ms. Miller. "We are thrilled to be here every six months and we bring different students. It's amazing that one of the most fun and special field trips we have during the year is to go to the UIC dental school. The students think going to the dentist is so much fun.

 "Not only are we sowing seeds for good oral education, but we are sowing seeds about going to a university, about becoming a dentist and now that they know our wonderful governor, maybe even about being a governor. Because obviously now they think they can be president."

The lesson had apparently sunk in because, later, when touring the clinic, Gov. Quinn visited a room where the St. Malachy children were being instructed in oral health care with the help of a few puppets and dental hygiene students from Kennedy-King College. The governor asked for questions from the students, and the first one up was, "How do you get to be governor?"