BATON ROUGE – LSU volleyball player Madie Jones and swimmer Kaelee Mader participated in National Give Kids a Smile Day last Friday at the Associates in Pediatric Dentistry Office at the Women’s Hospital.
The Dentistry Office provided free dental care to busloads of local children, some of which had never received dental care before. It marked the fourth consecutive year that LSU student-athletes have participated in “Give Kids a Smile Day.”
Jones and Mader provided a fun environment for the many first-time patients, as they played games with them in the waiting room as well as supported and encouraged them during their visits with the dentists to receive teeth cleanings.
“This event was so much fun,” Jones said. “The kids were dancing and having a great time, and it was awesome to get to interact with them. The dentists were so nice and wanted the kids to have a good experience. Everyone was really focused on making sure the kids were having a blast and not afraid of the cleanings. This is something I will continue to be a part of next year.”
Each year on the first Friday in February, thousands of the nation’s dentists and their dental team members provide free oral health care services to children from low-income families across the country.
The American Dental Association’s “Give Kids a Smile” program enhances the oral health of large numbers of needy children. Give Kids a Smile (GKAS) activities also highlight for policy makers the ongoing challenges that disadvantaged families face in finding dental care.