NSU College of Dental Medicine to Host Annual “Gives Kids a Smile” Event

Student Organized Program Provides Pro-Bono Dental Care to Children in Need

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern University (NSU) College of Dental Medicine will offer pro-bono dental screenings, examinations and treatments to children ages two to 21, including special needs patients, on Saturday, February 3, 2018, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

NSU has joined forces with the American Dental Association (ADA) Foundation in providing the Give Kids a Smile (GKAS) program at the university’s main campus, 3200 S. University Drive, since 2003. Students from the College of Pharmacy, the College of Optometry and the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine also will be on hand to provide additional health advice.

Attendees will enjoy a festive, jungle-theme atmosphere with Disney characters, face painters, live DJ music and a special appearance by “Timmy the Tooth.” GKAS is open to the public by appointment. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Unlike many other universities, NSU’s Give Kids a Smile program is student led and organized and includes monthly oral health education visits at different local schools. NSU faculty members donate their time to this community service event and supervise dental students in this worthwhile project. Sponsors include Henry Schein Inc., Colgate, American Student Dental Association, and NSU College of Dental Medicine’s Student Government Association.

WHEN: Saturday, February 3, 2018 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

WHERE: NSU’s College of Dental Medicine
3200 S. University Drive
Davie, FL
Located on NSU’s main campus on the corner of 30^th Street and University Drive

APPOINTMENTS:
To make an appointment, please contact NSU’s Give Kids a Smile team at 407-391-KIDS (5437) or GiveKidsASmileDay@gmail.com by Thursday, February 1, and leave a message, including:

• The names and ages of children attending.
• Your preferred dental appointment time

Please arrive 15 minutes early to fill out necessary paperwork and medical history.

A PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN MUST ACCOMPANY EACH CHILD AT THE EVENT.

WHO:
Interview opportunities with:

• Grateful patients and parents
• Joanna Theodorou, Give Kids A Smile Co-Director
• Linda Niessen, D.M.D., M.P.H., M.P.P., dean, NSU College of Dental Medicine

WHY: To provide education, screenings, preventive, and restorative services for South Florida children, and to create awareness about the access to dental care issue that exists in the United States. This is particularly significant given that the U.S. Surgeon General reports that more than 51 million school hours are lost each year to dental-related illness. The Pew Children’s Dental Campaign describes dental care as “the single greatest unmet need for health services among children” in its latest report.

 

 

# # #

 

Give Kids A Smile: The ADA Foundation’s Give Kids A Smile program is one of the world’s largest oral health charitable programs. Launched nationally by the American Dental Association in 2003, Give Kids A Smile is an access-to-care endeavor designed to encourage parents, health professionals, and policymakers to address the year-round need for oral health care and education for all children. Each year the Give Kids A Smile program supports approximately 10,000 dentists, 30,000 dental team members, and other community volunteers in providing free oral health care services including exams, fluoride treatments, sealants, fillings, crowns, and extractions, to more than 350,000 children from low-income families across the country. To find out more about Give Kids A Smile, visit www.adafoundation.org/GKAS.

About NSU College of Dental Medicine: Students of the college benefit from state-of-the-art educational and clinical facilities, which feature the latest in computer and video technology, and from our distinguished professors, recruited from throughout the United States. The college’s facilities, faculty, and dynamic curriculum have attracted worldwide attention. Students and professionals come from diverse backgrounds to pursue their courses of study at the college. For more information, please visit http://dental.nova.edu/

About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Ranked among US News & World Report’s Top 200 National Research Universities and located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. A private, not-for-profit institution, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa Bay, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is 1 of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private, not-for-profit institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information about NSU and realizingpotential.nova.edu for more information on the largest fundraising campaign in NSU history.

 

January 19, 2018

Contact Information:
Marla Oxenhandler | Office of Public Relations and
Marketing Communications
954-262-5315 (office)
954-770-9204 (cell)
Marla.oxenhandler@nova.edu

 

---

---