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For Immediate Release February 20, 2007 |
For More Information Contact: Susan Crum, 317-274-8135 |
Grant Awarded to IU Dental School Extends Care Beyond "Give Kids a Smile" Day
Among the IU dental school's Give Kids a Smile participants is Valparaiso, Ind. dentist, Dr. Frankie Montanez, who also serves as a volunteer clinical assistant professor of prosthodontics on the IU faculty.
INDIANAPOLIS - The IU School of Dentistry will use a grant from the Delta Dental Foundation to provide additional free dental care to children who recently participated in the American Dental Association's nationwide Give Kids a Smile dental program for children in need.
The dental school, which served as one of Indiana's key treatment sites on Feb. 2, provided dental exams, protective sealants, and restorative care to a total of 89 youngsters during the event. At least a half million children were expected to receive treatment at more than 2,100 locations across the country.
Selecting recipients from more than 100 applications, the Delta Dental Foundation awarded its first annual Community Mini-Grants to 10 organizations and institutions in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. The IU dental school received a $5,000 grant, which will make it possible for the school to continue treating an estimated 30 children whose dental needs were too extensive to complete during Give Kids a Smile day.
"We'll use the Delta Dental Foundation's funds to provide comprehensive treatment to the children we found to be in greatest need during the event," said Dr. Judith Chin, an IU associate professor of pediatric dentistry and the grant's recipient.
The dental school is also fully behind the American Dental Association's efforts to draw attention to the epidemic of untreated dental disease among disadvantaged children.
Give Kids a Smile day relies almost entirely on volunteers to bring much-needed dental care to children who do not have access to dental insurance or who are on Medicaid but do not have a dental provider. This year's efforts at the IU dental school, when officially tallied, are likely to exceed the nearly 2,200 volunteer hours contributed to Give Kids a Smile in 2006.
