WASHINGTON The American Dental Association Foundation’s Give Kids A Smile® (GKAS) program, one of the largest national initiatives focused on children and dental care, is kicking off at Howard University College of Dentistry on Thursday, Feb. 1 and Friday, Feb. 2, 2024.

The American Dental Association (ADA) launched Give Kids A Smile 22 years ago as a way for dentists across the country to join with others in the community to provide free dental services to underserved children while also highlighting for policy makers the ongoing challenges that underserved families face in finding and affording dental care.

The national Give Kids A Smile kick-off event is held annually at a selected site on the first Friday in February during National Children’s Dental Health Month. Since 2003, thousands of GKAS volunteers have provided free oral health education and services to more than 7 million underserved children throughout the United States. Throughout 2024, GKAS events will take place at schools, universities, health centers, and private dental practices. In addition to providing care, the goal of Give Kids A Smile has become continuity of care – finding dental homes for these families. The Give Kids A Smile program would not be possible without the generosity of long time national sponsors, Henry Schein and Colgate, who provide education and product kits to support Give Kids A Smile events.

“Howard University has been an enthusiastic partner every step of the way, and we are honored to take the lead this year in support of America’s underserved children,” said Andrea D. Jackson, DDS, dean of the Howard University College of Dentistry. “Each year, Give Kids A Smile provides a powerful platform for us to share knowledge, teach prevention, and provide treatment to vulnerable children – giving them something to smile about.”

LaToya M. Barham, DDS, associate professor, residency director, and chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, said the college is anticipating 100 children across four local schools in the District of Columbia. She said this year’s event will put the spotlight on preventive care and oral health literacy.

“What began as a grassroots effort twenty-three years ago in St. Louis has become a national public private collaboration that ensures access to quality oral health care for all children,” said Dr. Michele Tulak-Gorecki, DDS, chair f the American Dental Association Foundation. “The success of GKAS would not be possible without the nearly 27,000 dental professionals who volunteer at local events each year in addition to national sponsors, Henry Schein and Colgate. My sincere appreciation and thanks to all of you who have been a part of the program, some from the very first day. We are all involved for the right reason – to Give Kids A Smile and help children in need.”

“Since the program’s inception, Henry Schein has been the exclusive product sponsor of Give Kids A Smile, and we are honored to continue to be part of the program’s long-term success,” said Jennifer Kim Field, chief sustainability officer with Henry Schein, Inc. and co-chair of the ADA’s Give Kids A Smile National Advisory Committee. “Together with our valued supplier partners, we are committed to helping expand access to care and enhance oral health literacy for underserved children. Congratulations to the American Dental Association Foundation and all the dental volunteers, dental school faculty, staff, and students who help make one of the largest, charitable dental health programs in the country so successful.”

“As the worldwide leader in oral care and with the Colgate brand found in more homes than any other, Colgate is committed to our purpose to reimagine a healthier future for all,” said Dawna Michelle Fields, Senior Director, Community & Operations, North America, Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Program and National Advisory Committee Member, ADA Give Kids A Smile. “Colgate-Palmolive is proud to be a long-time supporter of the Give Kids A Smile program and promote oral health literacy, which is foundational for children’s overall health and wellbeing.”

Since 2007, Colgate-Palmolive has supported GKAS as the exclusive national sponsor of essential health and hygiene products to help build proper oral hygiene habits, which reflects the Company’s purpose to reimagine a healthier future for all. In addition to supporting GKAS, Colgate-Palmolive aims to advance health equity through its Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® (BSBF) initiative. Established in 1991, BSBF leads global social impact efforts that empower children and families to achieve healthy and bright futures, and has reached more than 1.7 billion children in over 100 countries around the world. For families, communities and healthcare professionals, the Company’s www.KnowYourOQ.com initiative is designed to improve people’s oral health literacy and ultimately create positive health outcomes.

“What began as a grassroots effort twenty-three years ago in St. Louis has become a national public private collaboration that ensures access to quality oral health care for all children,” said Dr. Michele Tulak-Gorecki, DDS, chair of the American Dental Association Foundation. “The success of GKAS would not be possible without the nearly 27,000 dental professionals who volunteer at local events each year in addition to national sponsors, Henry Schein and Colgate. My sincere appreciation and thanks to all of you who have been a part of the program, some from the very first day. We are all involved for the right reason – to Give Kids A Smile and help children in need.”

Howard University College of Dentistry is the nation’s fifth oldest dental school and one of only two HBCU (Historically Black College University) dental schools in the nation. The college has trained more African-American dentists than any other dental school in the United States. The school is the only dental college in the District of Columbia.

For more information about the ADA Foundation’s Give Kids A Smile program, visit www.ADAFoundation.org/GKAS.

###

About Howard University:

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 14 schools and colleges. Students pursue more than 140 programs of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced three Schwarzman Scholars, four Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 12 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.  

About American Dental Association:

The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing 161,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit ADA.org. For more information on oral health, including prevention, care, and treatment of dental disease, visit the ADA's consumer website MouthHealthy.org

About the ADA Foundation:
The ADA Foundation is the 501(c)3 charitable arm of the American Dental Association. The Foundation encourages hope and health in communities through philanthropy, professional development and recognizing promising leaders in the dental profession. As part of these efforts, the Foundation oversees Give Kids A Smile® and its suite of smile programs like Tiny Smiles and Give Veterans A Smile, in addition to Charitable Assistance Grants, the Whiston Leadership Award, and the Crest and Oral-B Promising Researcher Award. For more information about the ADA Foundation, visit www.adafoundation.org.

About Henry Schein, Inc:

Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) is a solutions company for health care professionals powered by a network of people and technology. With more than 23,000 Team Schein Members worldwide, the Company's network of trusted advisors provides more than 1 million customers globally with more than 300 valued solutions that help improve operational success and clinical outcomes. Our Business, Clinical, Technology, and Supply Chain solutions help office-based dental and medical practitioners work more efficiently so they can provide quality care more effectively. These solutions also support dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, as well as other alternate care sites.

Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 300,000 branded products and Henry Schein corporate brand products in our main distribution centers.

A FORTUNE 500 Company and a member of the S&P 500® index, Henry Schein is headquartered in Melville, N.Y., and has operations or affiliates in 33 countries and territories. The Company's sales reached $12.6 billion in 2022 and have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 12.1 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995.

For more inforation, visit Henry Schein at www.henryschein.com, Facebook.com/HenrySchein, and @HenrySchein on Twitter.

About Colgate-Palmolive:

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a caring, innovative growth company that is reimagining a healthier future for all people, their pets and our planet. Focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition, we sell our products in more than 200 countries and territories under brands such as Colgate, Palmolive, elmex, hello, meridol, Sorriso, Tom’s of Maine, EltaMD, Filorga, Irish Spring, PCA SKIN, Protex, Sanex, Softsoap, Speed Stick, Ajax, Axion, Fabuloso, Soupline and Suavitel, as well as Hill’s Science Diet and Hill’s Prescription Diet. We are recognized for our leadership and innovation in promoting sustainability and community wellbeing, including our achievements in decreasing plastic waste and promoting recyclability, saving water, conserving natural resources and improving children’s oral health through the Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program, which has reached approximately 1.7 billion children and families since 1991. For more information about Colgate’s global business and how we are building a future to smile about, visit www.colgatepalmolive.com.

Media contact: Sholnn Freeman; sholnn.freeman@howard.edu