Give Kids A Smile Day: Free Dental Care For Upper Darby Children

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Give Kids a Smile Day set to serve 400 area children and youth.

Philadelphia, PA (March 14, 2013) — Upper Darby children can receive free dental care on Thursday, March 28, when a regional, non-profit advocacy organization and nine area dentists team up for the 10th annual “Give Kids a Smile Day.”

The event’s sponsor, Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY), will make appointments for as many as 400 children up to age 18 to receive cleanings, sealants and occasionally cavity fillings – all free of charge.

Ten years ago, the U.S. Surgeon General called lack of dental care a “silent epidemic.” Nearly 17 million low-income U.S. children – about one in every five — go without dental care each year, a 2009 Kaiser Family Foundation report stated.

Such lack of dental care leads to “lost school time, challenges learning, impaired nutrition and health, and worsened job prospects in adulthood,” according to a Pew Center on the States report.

But worth smiling about is the fact that in Pennsylvania, Medical Assistance and CHIP cover dental care — a fact that PCCY will underscore on “Give Kids a Smile Day.”

“We are particularly trying to reach kids who are uninsured – who don’t have an easy, affordable way to get the important dental care that they need,” said PCCY Health Director Colleen McCauley. “Kids who live in immigrant families are more likely to be uninsured, yet many of them are eligible for public health insurance. So we hope Smile Day will connect these kids with a dentist and insurance so they can get care whenever they need it.”

Volunteers will be on hand to assist non-English-speaking families make appointments, as well as to help any parents with eligible children sign up for free or discounted public health insurance.

“Give Kids a Smile Day” has in previous years helped provide care to as many as 800 children. The event generally occurs in Philadelphia each year on a day when schools are closed. However, this year, PCCY has worked with the Upper Darby School District to get out the word about this year’s event in Upper Darby.

Parents must make appointments for their children to participate in “Give Kids a Smile Day.” They can begin calling on Thursday, March 21 through the 28th. Call PCCY at 215-563-5848 x32.

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NOTE: Media are invited to join us at certain dental offices. Please call Roxy at 215-563-5848 x35 to find participating dental locations.