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  Orthodontist Peter Ruoff and M. Dian Chin Kit-Wells, director of Give Kids a Smile day, talk with a patient, one of more than 600 who turned out for the free dental exam and treatment. Photo: JASON CHWIRUT

By KEVIN FRYLING

Published: February 11, 2009

They couldn’t have picked a better name for “Give Kids a Smile” (GKAS) day. Never have so many children looked happier after visiting the dentist than those returning to their school buses in front of Squire Hall, South Campus, on Friday after receiving free dental care from volunteers from the UB School of Dental Medicine and other professionals from the community.

Students from the Buffalo Public Schools and local Head Start programs, as well as a significant number of walk-in patients, were given free dental exams, not to mention fluoride treatments, X-rays, sealant, oral hygiene instruction and other treatment or consultations as needed, including limited restorative dental work, during the seventh annual GKAS event at UB. GKAS, sponsored in part by the American Dental Association (ADA), began in St. Louis in 2002 and has grown into a national event.

Each patient left the UB clinic with a toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss, and the youngest received a “goodie bag” and stuffed toy from UB’s “Teddy Bear Clinic” in neighboring Harriman Hall.

“We know that there are thousands of children out there who are not receiving the dental care that they need,” said M. Dian Chin Kit-Wells, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics and community dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, and director of GKAS. “We’re so pleased the ADA would create a day where we can open up the doors of the dental school to provide access to care and make parents more aware of dental needs early in a child’s life.”

The need is particularly great in Buffalo, she added, pointing to the city’s designation as one of the poorest in the country, as well as the large Somali refugee population that is among those treated at UB and satellite clinics in Women and Children’s Hospital and Mercy Hospital.

Approximately 200 Head Start preschoolers and 250 Buffalo Public School students received treatment on Friday, she says, as well as 175 patients who scheduled appointments independently, including an Amish family from the Southern Tier with nine children.

“I think that we have an obligation to give back,” said Peter A. Ruoff, an orthodontist who practices in Tonawanda and East Amherst and provided consultations throughout the day. “You have an obligation to use your time and your knowledge to treat people who have financial barriers to care. The American Association of Orthodontics says the first orthodontic screening should be at age 7; some of the people I’ve seen today haven’t had a dental cleaning in four years.”

According to Kit-Wells, GKAS volunteers included more than 20 local dental health providers, as well as UB dental students, residents and faculty; students from the Certified Dental Assisting Program in UB’s Educational Opportunity Center; social workers from the CARES program in the UB dental school; students from the Dental Hygiene Program at Erie Community College; and undergraduate social work students from Buffalo State College.

Among the students participating in GKAS was Amy Stone, a fourth-year dental student who will be a pediatric dental resident at Women and Children’s Hospital this summer.

“Not only is this a great educational experience, but it’s a great opportunity to interact with the community,” Stone said. “We’re really bridging the gap between the wonderful facilities that we have here and our own community. And I’m originally from Buffalo, which makes it really special.”