(Feb. 9, 2009) Imagine having a mouthful of toothaches and no place to go for help. This is the situation for nearly half of all children ages 2-9 suffering from untreated tooth decay. In Colorado, only 42.6 percent of children enrolled in Medicaid received any dental services in 2005.

But today, a whole lot of children who might not have had much to smile about are boasting about their pearly whites thanks to the School of Dental Medicine's participation in the annual “Give Kids a Smile” day.

More than 4,000 uninsured children from low-income families in Colorado received free dental treatment and education from 850 Colorado Dental Association dentists, hygienists and dental assistants. More than 250 of those children received dental care at Anschutz Medical Campus from 42 UC Denver hygienists, dental assistants and students: the largest event in the state.

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. Give Kids a Smile Day is held annually to:

• Provide free dental services to local, uninsured children who would otherwise not receive dental care.
• Raise awareness of the epidemic of untreated dental disease occurring in Colorado and across the country among low-income populations.