What is KidSMILES?
KidSMILES is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing quality dental care and education to children at an affordable cost to their families. The KidSMILES Pediatric Dental Clinic will be built at 770 Bethel Road in Columbus and will be open to patients in the fall of 2012.
Community Needs
According to an Ohio Department of Health report in 2010, dental care is the number one unmet health care need for children in Ohio. More than 12% of children in Franklin County and 22% of children in Delaware County have never visited a dentist. Even children with access to Medicaid are not receiving consistent dental care—58% of covered children between ages 3-18 did not see a dentist in 2008.
There are many barriers to good dental care including high costs, long wait times and few options. And since dental issues are considered non-life-threatening, families with limited income often choose not to seek preventative care.
Additionally, more than 39% of Ohioans do not have dental insurance. Earning too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford monthly dental premiums, these families are often the most likely to have dental-related problems. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, children without dental insurance are more than three times more likely to have dental issues than their peers with private and public insurance.
Through outreach into preschool and elementary school classes as well as services at the pediatric dental clinic, KidSMILES will provide high-quality dental care to children who would otherwise go without.
KidSMILES Educational Outreach
Dental health plays a critical role in the overall health and well being of a child. Children with little or no dental care are susceptible to getting cavities which can lead to unnecessary pain, infection and malnutrition. To promote good dental hygiene, KidSMILES partnered with the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation to create an outreach program for at-risk elementary and preschool children. The program teaches basic lessons about brushing habits and also gives each child a goody bag of dental supplies including toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and educational information.
KidSMILES Clinic Services
The KidSMILES Pediatric Clinic will provide comprehensive care to children in central Ohio at a cost of only $10 per visit. Run entirely by volunteer dentists, hygienists and dental professionals, the clinic will focus on providing services such as disease removal and prevention. To date, more than 275 members of the dental community have signed up to volunteer at the KidSMILES clinic.
Donate or volunteer today!