Wood River Health Services to hold free kids dental clinic
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| Little Barbara
Bigelow was so happy with her smile, she grew up to become a dental hygienist at Wood River Health Services! (Used with her permission) |
Children without dental insurance
will be able to get free care, and those with insurance will be seen at no cost
to the parent at Wood River Health Services’ first Give Kids a Smile Day on
April 10.
Appointments are being taken for children only that
entire day, and entertainment, activities and give-a-ways in the lobby of the
health center. To make an appointment, call (401) 387-9601.
Nearly one in four children aged two to 11 years old
have untreated cavities in their baby teeth, according to the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. Many children enrolled in Medicaid receive no
dental services throughout the year.
Give Kids A Smile is held annually to provide free,
easily accessible dental services to local, qualifying children. Wood River
Health Services also hopes to raise awareness of the epidemic of untreated
dental disease occurring locally and nationally and create local partnerships
to increase access to oral health care to solve this crisis.
The American Dental Association (ADA) launched the Give Kids A Smile program nationally in 2003 as a way for dentists to join with others in the community to provide dental services to underserved children. Each year, 350,000 to 400,000 children benefit from more than 1,500 events, all because of the efforts of 40,000 or more annual volunteers nationwide.
Wood River Health Services is receiving support from
the ADA, Henry Schein Cares Foundation and SmilesFirst! for this event.
Wood River Health Services is the Federally Qualified Community
Health Center for southwestern Rhode Island, providing medical and dental care
and social services to over 9,000 area residents.
The
center also administers the area WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Nutrition
Program, provides a nationally recognized chronic disease management program, has
available onsite lab testing in cooperation with Westerly Hospital, including
blood work, x-ray and mammography, and provides referrals for behavioral and
mental health counseling.
Sliding
scale payments are available to those who qualify.
Wood
River Health Services is located at 823 Main St., Hope Valley (on Route 3 south
of the village, just off Route I-95 at Exit 2). For more information, call (401) 539-2461 or visit www.woodriverhealthservices.org. They are a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. Tax-deductible donations are greatly appreciated!