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LDADr. Brian BasingerChair, LDA Council on Communicationscouncil on communicationsWhy GKAS? Why me?Why should I participate?In February, the American Dental Associationsponsored its 60th National Children’s DentalHealth Month, an initiative intended to raise awarenessabout the importance of oral health education. Tocommemorate the occasion, dentists nationwide joinedtogether to participate in Give Kids A Smile events tohelp children in their communities who do not haveaccess to dental care. Louisiana dentists participatedand were able to provide educational materials,dental screenings, cleanings, fluoride and sealants(where possible) to more than 1,500 of Louisiana’sdisadvantaged children. (Numbers reported to the LDAby our members.)A first year hygiene student dresses as the tooth fairy at Northwest’s event.All of the dentists involved, including many oftheir staff members and dental and hygiene students,donated their time and services to various eventsthroughout the state. On the following pages, you willsee an overview of several of the events and a chartlisting many of the volunteers and the number ofchildren who were able to take part in the program. Ifyou did not participate this year (or even if you did),please allow me to give you a few tips that will makenext year’s preparation a breeze.1. Get involved with local non-profit groups whowork with children. Many of the Greater BatonRouge dentists found it helpful to work withan organization called Health Care Centers inSchools. This organization identified schoolsmost deserving of the assistance and arranged forconsent forms and transportation to the dentaloffices. They also make sure teachers accompanythe kids to keep them calm in the waiting rooms.2. We also recommend that you figure out what youexpect your event to entail so you can order FREEsupplies from the ADA. The deadline for requestsis usually in November, so it is beneficial for youto know you are going to do an event so that youcan order supplies from the national sponsors.3. Partner with your colleagues. Creating your ownevent may seem like a daunting task, but youcan share the “burden” and the fun with otherarea dentists. The LDA can also help you findscheduled programs in your area. Regardlessof how you go about it, you’ll be helping thechildren in your community who need it most.Also, before reinventing the wheel, visit the ADAWeb site at www.ada.org. From this site, you can findan incredible amount of information such as programplanning kits, including timelines and to do lists.The photos accompanying this article were takenat GKAS events throughout the state. If you haveany photos from an event you hosted or attended orany information to report to the LDA, e-mail info@ladental.org.“ In certain rural areas, there is a tremendous unmet needwhere access to care is limited. This event and others like itare a great way to get the ball rolling.”– Dr. Joseph Yale24 LDA Journal