21st Annual Give Kids A Smile promotes oral health to Houston’s future

UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry provided more than $84,000 of free care to 126 uninsured children from the Houston community during the 21st Annual Give Kids A Smile on Feb. 21.

Fourth-year dental students, second-year dental hygiene students, and residents from the pediatric dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and endodontics advanced education programs provided 1,269 treatments valued at $84,160.

With a focus on prevention, children in need received exams, diagnostic imaging, oral hygiene instructions, teeth cleaning, fluoride treatment, and sealant application to help protect against cavities. In several necessary cases, patients received restorations, pulpotomies, and simple extractions.

Fourth-year dental student Josef Heidnhoffer says the care and education provided during Give Kids A Smile can be very impactful at this stage in children’s lives.

“Give Kids A Smile is a day where we can give back in a bigger way through UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry,” Heidnhoffer said. “To put it plainly, it’s truly outstanding to serve children in need in this way. The care we provide can positively impact their outlook on oral health care, and one good habit can lead to many other good habits.”

Community partners, Communities in Schools-Houston, San Jose Clinic, and 3DDK Elementary, identified the children in need.

Participants ranged in age from 4-18 years old and were accompanied by a parent, guardian, or proxy.

For many children, this annual event marked their first dental visit.

“It’s important to help these kids and the community around us who may not otherwise have access to dental care,” said Alan Ho of the Dental Class of 2025. “After all, children are the future, and if we can help them today, then further down the line, they can have better oral health, which means better overall health.”

At the end of their visit, children received goodie bags containing a free toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss, as well as information on healthy teeth and how to find a dental home at the School of Dentistry or a community clinic.

Give Kids A Smile also featured a visit from the tooth fairy, who posed for photos with participants. Paws for Therapy had canine companions on-site to help ease children’s anxiety, and there was a face painting and balloon art station.

Several students participating in Give Kids A Smile have pediatric dentistry aspirations.

Dental student Loren Matrone, who will start her pediatric dentistry residency in New York in the fall, chose the specialty because of the ability to make an impact.

“Kids are malleable and able to be shaped and formed by the people who come into their lives,” she said. “To be the person who impresses oral health care as a necessity is my ‘why’ for doing dentistry; it’s my motivation. This is the kind of work I want to do to lead an impactful career.

“I’m grateful that UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry puts such an emphasis on outreach events like Give Kids A Smile, where we get a whole day to do something that I love and, in turn, make an impact on the kiddos and families in our community.”

Second-year dental hygiene student Stephanie Seymour says she’s always worked well with kids and plans to work in a pediatric dentistry clinic after graduating in May.

“There’s a sense of compassion that comes with working with children, and it feels great to put them on a path to good oral health and hygiene habits. All the kids I saw were thankful and wonderful, and they left with a smile I had a part in.”

The School of Dentistry has provided this annual event since 2003, when the American Dental Association Foundation launched the Give Kids A Smile program nationally as a way for dentists to join with other oral health professionals in their communities to provide dental services to children in need.

The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California and affiliates, and the American Dental Association supported the event. The School of Dentistry also thanks Midwest Dental, Chick-fil-A, and Jason’s Deli for their donations.

MiPACS by Apryse provided backend provider support for Give Kids A Smile. The dental imaging system created a centralized “charity care” digital environment for interoperability between the School of Dentistry’s first- and second-floor clinical space.