Grant to Provide Dental Care to Kids in Need

LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry is one of three dental schools in the United States awarded funding by the American Dental Association (ADA) Foundation to provide comprehensive care to children whose parents cannot afford it. Children who need restorative or surgical care identified during Give Kids a Smile Day will receive services through this $12,500 grant this year.

Give Kids a Smile (GKAS) Day is a free outreach program sponsored by the ADA Foundation to provide free dental exams, sealants, oral health education and more to children from low-income families.

A high proportion of the children at the school served during LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry’s 2018 Give Kids a Smile Day are from immigrant families for whom there is a waiting period to access programs like Medicaid. Some of these same families’ homes were flooded on August 5, 2017, imposing further financial burdens.

“Many people feel that access to care is not a problem for poor children due to government programs and safety net clinics,” notes Janice Townsend, DDS, Associate Professor and Chair of Pediatric Dentistry at LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry. “There is, however, a large, silent population of children who fall through these gaps and suffer due to lack of care despite their parents' best efforts. Our whole school is proud to serve these children and get them on track to have healthy teeth for a lifetime.”

LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry provides follow-up care to about 50 children after the annual GKAS event, which will be February 23, 2018. This grant will expand the program to serve an additional 50 children this year.

The only dental school in Louisiana, LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry educates three of every four dentists and dental hygienists practicing in the state. It is also the only dental school in the country offering degrees in dentistry, dental hygiene and dental laboratory technology.