Rochester Giving 60 Kids A Smile

A child going without dental care is nothing to smile about: Pain caused by untreated tooth decay can create difficulty in eating, speaking, playing and learning. In some cases, tooth bacteria can spread to the brain and cause major illness – even death.

Thanks to the Rochester Salvation Army, children from low-income families are receiving free, quality dental care Feb. 5–6 through the Minnesota Dental Association’s “Give Kids a Smile” program.

The program is being held at the Good Samaritan Dental Clinic in Rochester, operated year-round by the Rochester Salvation Army. About 60 children are scheduled to participate.

Among the children is 16-year-old Rachel, whose father lost his flooring business and is now working a minimum-wage job to make ends meet.

“(This program) has been life saving for us,” said Rachel’s grandmother, Alice, who brought her in for a checkup the morning of Feb. 5. “Dental insurance is hard to get and does not always cover much.”

Eight-year-old Dustin (pictured) also received dental care that morning, including two fillings and a lesson about oral hygiene. His mother, April, was grateful.

“We had an issue with insurance and this is the only place he can be seen,” she said. 

Since opening in 2002, the Good Samaritan Dental Clinic has provided dental care to thousands of men, women and children with no or inadequate dental insurance.

Give Kids a Smile launched eight years ago in response to the growing number of children without access to quality dental care. The program is supported by the generosity of business partners 3M, Patterson Dental and HealthPartners.

Tooth decay affects U.S. children more than any other chronic infectious disease, according the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.