Newswise — Olympic gold medalist Carly Patterson turns 17 on Feb. 4, but she won't be celebrating in the usual fashion. Instead, Carly will share her birthday with several hundred children in New York City at an event to raise national awareness about the importance of access to dental care for underserved children.
Carly is serving as the American Dental Association's Youth Ambassador for the third annual Give Kids A Smile/National Children's Dental Access Day (GKAS) on Feb. 4.
This year, an estimated 40,000 dentists, dental team members and volunteers will participate in GKAS events across the country to benefit an estimated one half million children. View the ADA's Give Kids A Smile press kit at: http://www.ada.org/public/media/presskits/index.asp#give (then click on the link for Give Kids A Smile).
Events at more than 1,700 sites will range from large-scale dental clinics providing free cleanings, fluoride treatments and fillings to groups of dentists providing care to underserved children in their private practices, to individual dentists giving education and screening programs in a variety of locations.
As the ADA's Give Kids A Smile Youth Ambassador, Carly will attend New York City events on Feb. 4 at the pediatric dentistry clinic at the Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery and at a local elementary school where several hundred children will be screened by dental professionals, have their teeth cleaned and, if necessary, receive fluoride and restorative treatments, such as fillings and crowns, free of charge.
Carly will encourage children to brush and floss their teeth, and she will help distribute electric toothbrushes, toothpaste and educational materials provided by Crest Healthy Smiles 2010, the exclusive provider of consumer products for Give Kids a Smile events.
Professional dental supplies and equipment for GKAS events are provided by Dexis Digital X-ray Systems and Ivoclar Vivadent, Inc. Sullivan-Schein Dental is the exclusive professional product distributor for GKAS.
"I'm proud to join the 40,000 dentists and other volunteers taking part in Give Kids A Smile," Carly says. "I hope we can raise awareness about access to dental care, so we can give all kids the smile they deserve."
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing more than 149,000 members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer and professional products. For more information about the ADA, visit the Association's Web site at http://www.ada.org.
*Editor's Note: Due to the need for signed parental permission and other documentation, most Give Kids a Smile events can only see children who are registered in advance, in most cases through schools and social service clubs and agencies. Please do not indicate to the public that Give Kids A Smile events are open to unregistered children.
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