Grant will fund dental care for nearly 1,400 Little Rock children

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 15:31:24 +0000

Nearly 1,400 at-risk children in the Little Rock School District will have access to dental care this year, thanks to a grant from America’s ToothFairy, a foundation dedicated to improving children’s oral health.�� The Future Smiles Dental Clinic, coordinated by University of Arkansas at Little Rock Children International, received a $3,600 grant from. The funds were part of $100,000 awarded to members of America’s ToothFairy Dental Clinical Resource Program. This network of nonprofit clinical programs receives financial, product, and educational resources from America’s ToothFairy to expand the delivery of dental services and education to children from low-income or uninsured families. “We are proud to award these ToothFairy Grants in honor of the many caring companies and individuals supporting our mission to improve oral health outcomes for children,” said Jill Malmgren, executive director of America’s ToothFairy. “Their generous contributions will enable thousands of underserved children to access vital oral preventative services and treatment.”

Head Start student Collin Talbert has his first dental visit at Future Smiles Dental Clinic.

The Future Smiles Dental Clinic will use the funds to provide oral hygiene instruction, dental screenings, and a toothbrush kit for 1,395 students at Bale, Franklin, Stephens, Wilson, and Wakefield Elementary schools. �� “We are thrilled to receive national support for Future Smiles Dental Clinic from the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation to bring dental services to at-risk children in central Arkansas,” said Jolene Perkins, manager of the Future Smiles Dental Clinic. The Future Smiles Dental Clinic provides comprehensive dental care to children from low- to moderate-income households. The clinic is staffed and coordinated by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Children International and dental professionals from Arkansas Children’s Hospital as well as dental hygiene students from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Since opening in 2005, the clinic has conducted more than 34,000 dental screenings and provided over $2.2 million of free dental care for children in the Little Rock School District. The clinic serves an average of 1,600 dental patients every year. Many local organizations support the clinic, including the Little Rock School District, Delta Dental, Heart of Arkansas United Way, University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College, and Arkansas Department of Health. In the upper right photo,��Dr. Missy Collins, a dentist at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, discusses dental health with a group of children at the Future Smiles Dental Clinic.��

Donations bring brighter smiles to Little Rock children

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 18:38:06 +0000

Parents in the Little Rock School District can smile brighter knowing their children’s dental health is secure. The, coordinated by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Children International, has received grants totaling more than $95,000 to support the future of the clinic. The awarded a grant for $30,589 for 2016 and an additional $30,000 for both 2017 and 2018 to cover the operational costs of the clinic. The funds will be used to buy supplies and equipment used in the clinic’s preventative and restorative dental services. “We commend your organization for your efforts to improve oral health, and we are pleased to lend our support and be a partner in this project,” said Weldon Johnson, executive director of Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation. Future Smiles also received a $5,000 grant from. Future Smiles became an affiliate agency with the foundation in 2015. The dental clinic used the America’s ToothFairy grant to pay for the salary of a contract dentist for its annual sealant project. Children in partner schools travel to the clinic to receive sealants, a plastic protective coating that is placed on permanent molars to prevent cavities. The outreach is held every February during National Children’s Dental Health Month. Thanks in large part to the grant, 186 Little Rock school children received 686 sealants to protect their teeth during the 2016 sealant project. The Future Smiles Dental Clinic provides comprehensive dental care to children from low- to moderate-income households. The clinic is staffed by dental professionals from Arkansas Children’s Hospital, as well as dental hygiene students from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Since opening in 2005, the clinic has conducted more than 31,000 dental screenings and provided nearly $2 million of free dental care for children in the Little Rock School District. “I would like to thank Delta Dental for their longtime support of the clinic,” said Jolene Perkins, manager of the Future Smiles Dental Clinic. “We are also very pleased to have a new partnership with the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation as an America’s ToothFairy affiliate agency.” Visit ��Vlog��ýLR Children International to learn more about their programs.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

Grant will fund dental care for nearly 1,400 Little Rock children

Donations bring brighter smiles to Little Rock children

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock