Snow cant put a damper on Give Kids A Smile in Indianapolis

Indianapolis鈥擜 snowstorm forecast for last night and this morning didn’t freeze the enthusiasm of Give Kids A Smile here.

Luckily, most of the snow tracked north, and the 150 or more young patients and their families only had to navigate through an inch or so of slush to attend the 6th annual Give Kids A Smile at the Indiana University School of Dentistry.

More than 100 dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, dental students and others volunteered to make the day a success.

Dr. Judith Chin, associate professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, has coordinated the annual event each year.

“It’s one of my champion causes,” says Dr. Chin. “I grew up poor and it’s important for us to help where we can.”

Dr. Chin also makes time to coordinate a program that provides dental care to children in area homeless shelters鈥攁 year-round mission.

IU dental school’s first GKAS program started with about 40 children, she added. “We’ve grown by leaps and bounds.”

Children receive a variety of dental services, and those with extensive needs are referred for pro bono follow-up care.

“We have recruited specialists in Indianapolis and statewide to follow up with children who need the expertise of specialists,” said Dr. Chin, a pediatric dentist. “We refer for endo, ortho, perio and oral surgery. We have volunteers who specialize in public health dentistry and oral pathology. Every specialty pitches in.”

Dr. Desiree Dimond, a private practice dentist on the southwest side of Indianapolis, and her dental assistant Jennifer Whetstone, have participated at the dental school event in each of its six years.

“When you saw it was snowing today, you might have thought, ‘I don’t want to go to work today,’ but today it was easy because you wanted to come out and help these kids,” said Dr. Dimond. “The kids are great鈥攚e get more out of this than they do.”

“It’s great when you know you’re helping kids,” added Ms. Whetstone. “I love coming here.”

Volunteers also enjoyed breakfast and lunch courtesy of the Alliance of the Indiana Dental Association.

On the city’s south side, Drs. Marsha Hickey and David Wolf and many of their 12 office staff members have arrived early to treat about 50 children in need of care at their office on Southpointe Drive. The slushy road conditions delay the 8 a.m. patients a few minutes, but by 8:30, their office’s sixth GKAS is under way.

“As health care professionals, it’s the least we can do,” said Dr. Hickey. “We have a great staff and they volunteer for this also. I wish we could do this more than just one day.”

Dr. Wolf says donating a day to treat kids in need is easy for him.

“I was probably worse off growing up than most of the kids we’ll see today,” said Dr. Wolf. “If I can do for someone else, if I can give back, I’m glad to do it.”

Dr. Wolf also dedicates at least two weeks each year to volunteer abroad. He’s visited Romania six times and last year also went to Haiti to help open a dental clinic with funds raised by an Evansville, Ind., church.

In Romania, much of his time is spent treating children at a large orphanage.

“The first year, I had a lot of full-mouth treatments,” he said, “but now that we return every year, I’m getting a chance to do follow-up care and sealants. It’s a good feeling knowing that we’re making some progress.”

Dr. Hickey and Dr. Wolf work with the Indiana Dental Association, which handles most of the paperwork for GKAS, and works with local school nurses, social service agencies and others to identify children who don’t have access to dental care.

“The Indiana Dental Society makes it so easy to implement,” said Dr. Hickey. “It’s a no-brainer for us.”

Children treated today will receive a variety of services: cleanings, X-rays, exams, sealants and necessary treatments. If needed, they will also arrange follow-up care.

In addition to dental care, kids at programs statewide receive Smile Sacks filled with dental care products.

The IDA estimates that 200 dentists statewide will participate. About 90 percent of dentists, said Laura Barnard, director of communications, provide care. The other 10 percent make donations or conduct education and screenings, then provide follow-up care for kids in need.

“We encourage our dentists to provide dental care. And we hope they can make it fun. If we can make it cool for the kids, especially those experiencing their first dental visit, that’s great,” she said.