WAVE 3 - Louisville, KYSmile Kentucky! provides dental care to 240 KY children
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By Shayla Reaves - bio | email
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Sometimes dental visits can be a little scary - and unaffordable - but Smile Kentucky! is working to change that for qualified children across Kentuckiana.
"We see everything from taking teeth out, which are extractions, to simple fillings to fluoride treatment," said UofL School of Dentistry Student Doctor Mary Shields.
"Good oral health is the foundation for a child's overall health," said Kelley Dearing Smith, a spokesperson for The Louisville Water Company.
The LWC started Smile Kentucky! eight years ago. Those involved visited all participating schools and screened 4500 children in the Fall. Those qualified were invited to attend the Smile Kentucky! event. It's part of a partnership with the U of L School of Dentistry and local community groups; The Louisville Dental Society recruits volunteers and others such as Texas Roadhouse, Chick-Fil-A, Bullitt County Health Department, NorthWest AHEC, Sullivan Schein and Prospect-Goshen Rotary Club provide funding and support.
Student doctors teach the basics of dental care to 240 participating children. Licensed Dentists and hygienists provide the treatment.
"The kids who are here at the dental school today are kids who kind of fall through the cracks," Dearing Smith said. "Maybe mom and dad both work but they don't have dental insurance and a way to pay for it."
Nine-year-old Stephanie Madrigal already knows the importance of healthy teeth.
"I don't want rotten teeth!" Madrigal said. "I'm going to get my teeth checked!"
"Those are the ones that are going to stay with her for life," student Doctor Mary Shields said. "We want to keep them healthy and with her."
A total of 21 schools participated in Friday's event, and a second dental day was scheduled for March. In all, Smile Kentucky! will provide more than $100,000 in dental services free of charge to students from 34 schools.
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