University of Minnesota Offers Free Dental Services to Children

BEACON TRANSCRIPT – It is said that nothing is more beautiful than a child’s smile. But sometimes parents tend to overlook the aspect of dental hygiene, leading to all sorts of tooth-related mishaps. Moreover, there are lots of kids out there who can’t afford to see a dentist due to their family’s financial situation. The University of Minnesota offers free dental services to children in need.

While most US citizens tend to think twice before heading on over to the dentist, there are those who are in dire need of dental services but cannot afford them. And, to tell the truth, sometimes, a routine trip to the dentists can very well put a hole in your pocket, apart from the one you have in your tooth.

In terms of health, dental care is perhaps the most important aspect and very easily overlooked. Sometimes we will wait until the last possible minute before going to see a dentist. And this usually happens when that pain tooth becomes so unbearable, that it won’t let us get a good night’s sleep.

And there are many misconceptions surrounding the so-called dreaded visit to dentist’s office. In fact, there are many adults who would shriek over hearing the sound of the dent1al drill, no matter how much the doctor explains that the procedure is safe and painless.

Well, in terms of dental care, the University of Minnesota offers dental services to children in need, as a part of an ongoing program called “Give Kids a Smile”. This being said, Saturday, thousands of volunteers, including medical students, are expecting the kids to come for a routine check-up at the University of Minnesota’s dental clinic.

Being one of the largest medical facilities in the state, the University of Minnesota can offer a broad palette of dental related services to the little tykes in need including X-rays, cleanings, extractions, fillings and scale removing services.

Kimberly Rostvold, a third-year medical student and the co-chair of the “Give Kids a Smile” program said that in the case of children, dental hygiene is often overlooked, and that’s why it is important to see a dentist once in a while. Also, the co-chair of the program also said that she and her colleagues know that there are many children around the state who require dental care services, but cannot afford them.

And so, for the duration of the program, the volunteers are expecting kids and adults alike to come in for a routine check-up. Since the program started, approximately 65.000 received free dental care services. And it would seem that over the years, the volunteers working for the program offered dental services valued at 16 million dollars.

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