The University of Minnesota’s School of Dentistry—Minnesota's only dental school—educates around 70 percent of Minnesota’s dentists and dental therapists. But beyond working on their education in the classroom, dentistry students give back to the community even before they have their degrees in hand.
Each year, dental professionals across the country, including School of Dentistry students, participate in Give Kids a Smile, providing free dental care to children in need, including examinations, x-rays, cleanings, fluoride varnishes, as well as some follow-up care.
This year’s daylong event was held in early February, when over 100 volunteers, including doctor of dental surgery, dental hygiene, and dental therapy students and faculty members from all departments, worked together to provide oral health care to children and their families. The event served 66 patients, an impressive showing on a day with a major snowstorm.
Give Kids a Smile was co-chaired by third-year dental students Bridget Ahern ’26, Charlie Brimacombe ’26, and Libby Isaacson ’26.
“This is a completely student-run initiative, with guidance from our faculty advisors,” says Ahern. “Our primary goal is to establish a 'dental home' for underserved children in our community [by raising] funding for future dental care to ensure they receive continuous care and return to us for their dental needs.”
There are many moving parts to planning such a large-scale volunteer event. Ahern says that one of the biggest challenges was securing adequate funding. “We apply for as many grants as we qualify for, but dental care can be quite costly,” she says. “Unfortunately, the funding we receive doesn’t always cover all of the treatment needs our patients have, so we continue to work on raising more support.”
The School of Dentistry received support for this year's event from a number of contributors, including the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Foundation, Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation, First Impressions Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, Gifford Financial, and the Minnesota Dental Foundation.
Many of the children who attended the event had never visited a dentist before or have limited access to oral health care. “I’ve been a part of this committee since my first year of dental school, and I’ve witnessed the positive impact that Give Kids a Smile has on these children's lives,” Ahern says. “Beyond treating immediate needs, we also focus on educating them about habits that will ensure they can maintain a healthy smile.”
The University of Minnesota School of Social Work was also on hand at Give Kids a Smile, providing information about free and low cost health and mental health care services in the Twin Cities to the families whose children were being treated by the dental students.
This story was adapted from the original at the School of Dentistry
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