Kids Smiles would like to invite you to SHARE A SMILE for National Children’s Dental Health Month this February. Read below to learn about the challenge low-income children face in accessing dental care and how the Kids Smiles Grin & Share It program helps!

Did you know?

• Dental caries (tooth decay) is the most common chronic childhood illness
• Children from low-income families have twice the prevalence of dental caries (tooth decay) that higher-income children do
• In 2011, about half of all children enrolled in Medicaid did not access dental care in the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania
• In 2014, 18 million low-income children went without dental care
• More than 7,000 children are uninsured in the communities that Kids Smiles serves

In 2011, Kids Smiles launched the Grin & Share It program to provide free dental care to children with limited or no insurance

• 91% of Kids Smiles patients are uninsured, or covered by Medicaid or other public insurance
• About 2,000 children receive free services or full comprehensive care through the Grin & Share It program each year
• The Grin & Share It program is supported by generous funders in 2015-16, such as:

  o Esther Gowen Hood Trust, administered by BNY Mellon Wealth Management

  o CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

  o Santander Bank Foundation

  o Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation

The Grin & Share It program is a vital resource for children in our community, but it cannot grow without your support.

Help Kids Smiles truly celebrate National Children’s Dental Health Month this February and SHARE A SMILE with children in need today!