By Mackenzie Meleski

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, and the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry celebrated by expanding its reach during its annual Give Kids A Smile event.

For the first time, patients were seen at both the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU Children’s Pavilion and the Pediatric Dentistry at Northside Clinic, increasing access to free dental care for children in the Richmond community.

While the downtown location focused on restorative care, patients at the Northside Clinic received preventative dental care primarily from dental hygiene students.

Held on February 20, the annual event brought together dental and dental hygiene students, residents and pediatric dentistry faculty who volunteered their time to provide comprehensive care at no cost to families. Services included exams, prophylaxis treatments, cleanings, sealants, extractions and other essential procedures.

With the additional space provided by the two locations, the School of Dentistry treated 119 patients over the course of the day, up from 80 patients last year. In total, volunteers delivered about $74,000 in donated care.

Give Kids A Smile, an annual event organized by VCU School of Dentistry, provides free dental care for underinsured children in the Richmond area. (VCU School of Dentistry)

As a faculty member in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry since 2021, Paula Coates, D.D.S., M.S., has participated in many Give Kids A Smile events as one of the faculty attendings. She has provided care for patients, but mostly supervised dental students and residents throughout the day. 

For Coates, it is an opportunity to give children a positive perspective of dental care.

“So many of them come to us having no concept of what it is like to be a dental patient, and it is our job to fill those blank slates with positive experiences,” Coates said. “Their innocence is infectious! It is very powerful to be able to teach them and help them understand that oral health and visiting the dentist is important, fun and not scary while they are young. Thus, they will grow up to be adults who are not afraid to see the dentist and have great oral health.”

Give Kids A Smile helps families receive much needed preventative and restorative dental care that they might not have access to otherwise. There are many challenges that low-income families face when trying to receive dental care, such as not being able to qualify for programs such as Medicaid, shortages of dental providers who are willing to accept programs such as Medicaid, language barriers and transportation challenges. The high expenses of dental care can also make it difficult for families to take their children to the dentist regularly.

Benjamin Bloom, a fourth-year dental student and soon-to-be pediatric dentistry resident at VCU, treats a patient at the annual event. (VCU School of Dentistry)

Giving back to the littlest patients

On the day of the event, the pediatric dental suite at CHoR lit up with children’s laughter, smiles of students and faculty and the knowledge that a difference is being made.

Students play a prominent role in organizing Give Kids A Smile. It is also a valuable learning experience for them, both in providing clinical care and also teaching children about the importance of oral health. Dental student Wafa Khan has volunteered for the event for four years and dedicated many hours to organizing it this year.

“Every year it is so incredibly heartwarming to see the community coming together to help these children. The smile the children have when they get their prizes after the appointment is so rewarding. The parents are always so appreciative as well,” Khan said.

First year dental students, Simrah Ansari, Emily Jones, Andrew Gaedecke, Anne Ross Hope, Liana Semaan, and Stephanie Martin, give friendly greetings and provide information about oral health to children and parents.(VCU School of Dentistry)

She recalled the first two years of volunteering, where she and her classmates greeted patients and their parents, handed out toys and goodie bags, and educated children about oral health. 

“One of the most memorable was dressing up in costumes with other dental students and bringing laughter and smiles to the kids,” Khan said. “The kids also love brushing the teeth of the dinosaur dental plushies we have!”

Over time, Khan transitioned to organizing the event and providing dental care chairside. As a coordinator, she helped recruit student volunteers and created the schedule.

For Khan, Give Kids A Smile  is the perfect opportunity to provide children with the tools they need to have a lifetime of good oral health. And it starts with education.

“I’m passionate about pediatric dentistry as it truly emphasizes the idea of prevention through education,” Khan said. “Kids enjoy learning and it is ultimately up to us as providers to enforce that fun learning at an early age. This way, we make all our patients feel comfortable and cared for when treated.”

As part of the event, dental and dental hygiene students, residents and pediatric dentistry faculty who volunteered their time to provide comprehensive care at no cost to families. (VCU School of Dentistry)

Give Kids A Smile is the culmination of countless hours of planning and caring, the dedication of its volunteers, and the mission of VCU School of Dentistry to provide clinical excellence to people in need.

“Every year at the end of the event, I leave feeling full of pride, full of hope and a full heart,” Coates said. “My heart is full because of the smiles on the faces of our littlest patients. I am touched by the relief I see in the eyes of their parents and guardians when they learn that there is "no charge" for the services. I am extremely proud of our student learners. This experience allows them to develop leadership skills and affords them the opportunity to serve. Giving back to the greater community in this manner is an act that I hope will continue once they graduate from our program.”

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