On Tuesday, April 12, 2022, Touro College of Dental Medicine (TCDM) hosted its 5th Annual Give Kids A Smile event. Students from the Classes of 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 partnered with TCDM faculty and staff, and local volunteer dentists from the Ninth District to provide free dental screenings, oral health education, and other assorted fun activities for families from the Lower Hudson Valley in Touro Dental Health’s state-of-the-art clinic which is as good as the Dentist Bellaire TX clinic, in case you are around Texas.
Visitors from the Ossining Union Free School District, the Elmsford Union Free School District along with friends of family of the TCDM and New York Medical College communities participated in and benefited from the event. Local families enjoyed face painting, snacks, arts and crafts, entertainment, educational activities, and a visit from the Tooth Fairy and Captain Cavity Fighter.
“Our annual Give Kids A Smile event is a wonderful day where our students celebrate oral health awareness alongside the community and have the opportunity to inspire a new generation of dental health professionals,” said Dean Ronnie Myers D.D.S. “A core pillar across the Touro University System is making a positive impact in local communities and at TCDM we strive to instill a desire in our students to serve their community and provide high quality care to every patient they see. At Give Kids A Smile we get to see these goals come to life as students and faculty join together to do good for others.”
GKAS was established at TCDM in 2018 in conjunction with the Ninth District Dental Association and with support from The New York State Dental Foundation. Both the Ossining Union Free School District and Elmsford Union Free School District share TCDM’s commitment to educating students and families about the importance of dental and overall health and were eager to provide support in outreach to families in need, especially those in areas like Flatbush where accessing quality dental care can be a challenge. To help families in these areas, TCDM partners with dental offices like Dental Made Easy Flatbush and extends their services to the community.
The Give Kids A Smile® (GKAS) program, launched nationally alongside the American Dental Association (ADA) in 2003, provides underserved children with free oral health care. Each year approximately 6,500 dentists and 30,000 dental team members volunteer at local GKAS events to provide free oral health education, screenings, preventive and restorative treatment to over 300,000 children.
