The ADA (American Dental Association) Foundation announced Aug. 26 that NSU will serve as the kickoff location for the national 2016 Give Kids A Smile program in February.
“We’re thrilled,” said Dr. Linda C. Niessen, dean of NSU College of Dental Medicine. “The students already have plans to make the program bigger and better.”
The national kickoff for GKAS is celebrated on the first Friday in February to coincide with National Children’s Dental Health Month but more than 1,500 GKAS events are held throughout the year around the country, providing dental services to about 350,000 underserved children.
NSU’s most recent GKAS event in February celebrated 11 years of service with their GKAS program and has become one of Florida’s premier dental outreach programs.
With the support of the ADAF’s GKAS program, launched nationally by the ADA in 2003, more than five million underserved children have received free oral health services over the last 13 years. These free services are provided by approximately 10,000 dentists annually, along with 30,000 other dental team members.
For more information on NSU’s GKAS program, go to asdablog.com. For more information about GKAS, go to adafoundation.org/GKAS.