February 9, 2005
Dental day gives kids better smile
Garfield Dental Group provides free exams, treatments for 25 children
By
Herald staff writer
Six-year-old Allie Morris of Reed City has a gorgeous smile - and her mother wants to keep it that way.
Morris was one of 25 children who received free dental care as part of "Give Kids a Smile" day on Friday. Doctors Ronald Chao and David Ellsworth of the Garfield Dental Group provided dental exams and treatment as part of a national program sponsored by the American Dental Association.
"This is a day for children who have no access to dental care, we see them for free," said office manager Susan Davenport, noting that the Traverse City dental office staff agreed to volunteer their time for the day.
"We do cleanings, give sealants and fluoride, fill cavities and in some extreme cases do extractions for kids who would not otherwise be able to afford dental care," Davenport said.
Many of the children seen by Chao and Ellsworth were making their first visit to the dentist.
"We had a patient with moderate decay that would have developed into needing an extraction. We did large surface fillings on her two front teeth and gave her back her smile," Ellsworth said.
"We have also done a lot of preventative sealants so we don't see decay develop later on. We hope we can save teeth rather than taking them out," he said.
In all, 28 fillings were completed along with six sealants and 22 cleanings. Three children required one or more extractions. The children also received instruction in dental hygiene from dental assistant students.
While the staff was happy to see 25 children this year, they are hoping that in future years they will be able to see many more.
"There is a definite need in the area. This is something we will do again," Chao said.
Jessica Morris, whose daughter Allie got a clean bill of dental health, plans to return next year too.
"This is a wonderful program. It is definitely worth the long drive," Morris said.