Volunteers work hard in the Beehive State

Salt Lake City—It’s 8:15 in the morning and already parents and children are crowding the archway of the Salt Lake Community College Dental Hygiene School, eager to check in for Give Kids A Smile.

For many of them, this Feb. 27 event is a long-awaited trip to the dentist.

Nearly 500 volunteers, including dentists, hygienists, hygiene students, assistants and translators from all over Northern Utah have gathered to treat 498 area children. It鈥檚 the 8th time Utah has held this outreach program, and by the day鈥檚 end they will have provided comprehensive care, including X-rays, cleanings, extractions, restorations and oral health education totaling more than $270,910 in free dentistry.

“This is the one time each year that I wish I were a dentist or hygienist and could jump in to do some work,” said Monte Thompson, Utah Dental Association executive director. “This is by far UDA’s major group effort to address serious dental needs of children in our local communities. Dentists, hygienists and others have a great time getting together and doing some good. No claim forms, no collections, just good, needed treatment. And many, many smiles and heartfelt expressions of thanks.”

Over the years, the Utah GKAS has become a well-oiled machine. In 2005 UDA began partnering with the Utah Give Kids A Smile to better ensure efforts to match local community needs with the resources they need.
“We created the Utah Give Kids Smile organization to be a replicable or ‘franchise’-type model, where any dental district in Utah can easily take part by supplying the manpower at a district level, [with] resources supplied at a state level,” said Jared Hansen, chairman, Utah GKAS. “It makes participation easy not only for the local dental district or the hosting facility, but for all the volunteers involved.”

The program is working.

Here at the Utah College of Dental Hygiene in Orem, volunteers know their assignments, parents know when and where to show up, and nearly all of the children are prescreened by Sealants for Smiles, which provides free school-based oral health education and dental sealants to Utah’s underserved children.

This year’s event was spread out over four sites: Salt Lake Community College Dental Hygiene School in West Jordan, UCDH, Weber State Dental Hygiene School in Ogden and Dixie State College of Dental Hygiene in St. George.

Dr. Darren Chamberlain, a pediatric dentist from Springville, was the lead dentist participating in what was also his first GKAS event. He said he admired most how the event made a difference to local children.

“There’s such a huge need in this community,” he said. “Rather than going off to Central America or Africa or some place [like that], it’s nice to treat local kids.”

Camaraderie with colleagues was an added bonus.

“It’s been nice bonding with the Provo dentists,” Dr. Chamberlain said, “and to rub shoulders with some of them and see how they do dentistry. I’ve never been a part of a gathering this large in Utah. I think we have something really special and I am glad to be a part of it.”

Dr. Chamberlain credited Dr. Al Clark with showing him the GKAS ropes.

Dr. Clark previously worked in public health and said he urged Utah’s dental societies to get involved with GKAS when it first began in 2003.

“He was a great resource,” Dr. Chamberlain said.

“I like to see people getting the care they need,” enthused Dr. Clark before rushing off to treat another young patient.

Alesa DeHart, mother of 7-year-old Tucker, said she “jumped at the opportunity,” upon hearing about the GKAS site in Orem.

“I know his teeth hurt,” she said of her son. “He’s been in pain for months.”

A single mother of four, Alesa said she is unable to afford dental care. She is currently looking for work and was grateful to see Tucker get treatment.

“I think this is a wonderful program,” she said.

Tucker listened intently as Dr. Chris Jolley explained his plan to provide stainless steel crowns to some of his teeth.

“I know I have cavities,” Tucker said. “But it costs lots of money to see the dentist.”

Dr. Steve Steed, the state dental director for the Utah Department of Health, said he was “really impressed” with how UDA has expanded the GKAS program over the years.

“It helps provide access,” Dr. Steed said, “but more importantly, it helps increase awareness of the value of oral health and the importance of overall health.”

Most of the children are from low-income schools known as Title 1 schools in Utah. The majority speak Spanish as their first language and for that, volunteers from nearby Brigham Young University and the surrounding community stand by to translate. For those children who require additional care, each receives a voucher for continued free care at a participating dentist close to home. The voucher program was instituted in 2005 and helps save time and allows more children to be seen.

“Our goal is to get the worst problems taken care of today,” said volunteer Dr. Don Bigelow, president of the Salt Lake Dental Society, “and refer out who needs referral with the voucher program.”

According to Mr. Hansen, this year the Utah GKAS sent out $157,095 in donated vouchers.

At the SLCC site, UDA past president Dr. Jim Williamson had a huge smile on his face as he finished a restoration on Kimberly Avila, 7.

“She was so good,” he said. “Her tooth was hurting her on the upper right. These kids are getting comprehensive care and not getting lost.”

In a nearby operatory, Dr. John Ayre donned a stuffed animal hat that drew a big laugh.

“If it distracts them, that’s the best thing,” he said of the “Finding Nemo” hat he wore for most of the day.

“What we’re treating here are the kids who fall between the cracks, who don’t have Medicaid or private insurance,” said Dr. Joe Mirci, lead dentist at the SLCC site. “The dentists here are not only donating their time but their equipment and that鈥檚 quite a sacrifice.”

Added Loredana C. Haegar, dean of the SLCC School of Health Sciences, “This is one way for our dental hygiene program to give back. It’s a good teaching moment for our students to see what can be done. We teach our students the importance of patient education and this is a good event to emphasize what they鈥檙e learning in the classroom.”

The children who participate are excited to attend. For them, the event is an opportunity to color and play and leave with goody bags stuffed with free toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Others are scared, but grateful for the opportunity.

One such patient was 6-year-old Alfred, who held firmly to hygiene student Angie Thayme’s hand as he waited to be treated by Dr. Matt Larson.
“We’re going to take out the cavity bugs,” reassured Ms. Thayme.

“Raise your left hand if it hurts,” Dr. Larson said. “If it hurts or feels weird, let me know.”

As the event draws to a close, many of the volunteers breathe sighs of relief or stop to take a break and help themselves to the pizza and meals donated by community businesses.

“There is a feeling in the facilities used for Give Kids A Smile that is unsurpassed in other dental treatment venues,” said Mr. Thompson. “Most dentists provide free dental treatment in their own offices, but when they band together in a large group the experience is one of a kind. They all seem to love it.”