Sacramento volunteers provide $1 million in GKAS dental care
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Posted June 1, 2009 |
By Stacie Crozier Sacramento, Calif.—Since early February, volunteers from the Sacramento District Dental Society and its Foundation have been helping thousands of kids smile through their Give Kids A Smile—Smiles for Kids 2009 program.
 This year's program served more than 28,000 children from 59 schools in five counties. More than 700 received needed dental care in February and since then more than 360 children have been placed in SDDS Adopt-A-Kid Program for follow-up care. Adopt-A-Kid participants have been receiving care from general dentists, endodontists, oral surgeons, periodontists, pediatric dentists and orthodontists. Nearly 70 kids will get braces for free this year.
"This program has continued to grow every year," said Cathy Levering, SDDS executive director. "Thanks to our generous dentists and their staffs, we continue to make a huge difference for our community's children. And the good news is we are finding that those we are treating one year are not the ones that we are treating the next year. The education component of this program is working."
Through May 1, the program has provided more than $1 million in donated dental care and more than 270 dentists (21 percent of the SDDS membership) and 370 dental auxiliary and community volunteers have participated. Since 1991, the program has provided $7 million in pro bono dental care.
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