SALT LAKE CITY – More than 400 children were given brighter smiles on Saturday, thanks to the annual Give Kids a Smile event.
The annual event provides free dental care to underprivileged children as part of National Children’s Health Month. The event has been held at a number of locations over the last decade, but now has a permanent home donated by the University of Utah in the Ray and Tye Noorda Oral Health Science Building.
Dozens of dentists and and hygienists from the Utah Dental Association and University of Utah volunteered their time to help give the children more than $100,000 in free dental work.
“A lot of these kids have pretty bad mouths that are swollen and infected, and that’s our main focus is to control infection because they can’t focus in school, they can’t concentrate in school, and so by doing that it makes their life better,” said James Williamson, director for the event.
The Henry Schein dental supply company donated the tools used for Saturday’s dental work.
