ASDOH holds fifth annual Give Kids a Smile event
Posted: April 27, 2010
A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH) along with the Arizona Dental Foundation (ADF) celebrated the fifth anniversary of the ASDOH Dental Clinic’s Give Kids a Smile® day April 16. Hundreds of volunteers gathered to provide care for underserved children from the Mesa Public School District.
In recognition, the office of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer declared April 16, 2010 “Give Kids a Smile® Day.” Beth Kohler Lazare, Arizona Health and Human Services policy advisor, presented the proclamation during a small ceremony in the clinic lobby as children began arriving for treatment. The ceremony was attended by Arizona State Rep. Cecil Ash, who also toured the clinic.
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“Each year, our students work even harder than the last to make the event as smooth, productive, and fun as possible,” said ASDOH Dean Jack Dillenberg, D.D.S., M.P.H. “We are moved by their commitment and dedication to this very worthy program.”
“Watching all of the volunteers, sponsors, and students come together to provide this great community service is heart-warming – this is what we are all about,” he continued. “ATSU-ASDOH is proud to partner with the ADF to provide quality oral healthcare to the children in our community.”
In all, more than 300 pre-screened children received approximately $200,000 worth of dental treatment for free thanks to the coordinated effort of 180 ASDOH dental students, 33 volunteer dentists, approximately 50 students from Mesa Community College’s School of Dental Hygiene, and almost 400 additional school and community volunteers. Give Kids a Smile® is a national program sponsored by the American Dental Association, and the ASDOH Dental Clinic’s event is one of the largest in the state of Arizona.