North Brunswick, NJ - The New Jersey Dental Association (NJDA) and the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) are joining forces to offer free dental care to underprivileged children on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005, as part of the Give Kids A Smile! (GKAS) National Children's Dental Access Day. The one-day event is part of the national month-long Children's Dental Health Month. Dentists, hygienists and dental assistants are volunteering their time that day to perform a wide range of dental services to children ages 12 and under at nearly 20 sites throughout the state. Last February, in New Jersey, nearly 2,000 children visited 15 sites, identified primarily by UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School.
The GKAS program, headed in New Jersey by Statewide Chairman Dr. Cavan Brunsden, a pediatric dentist in Old Bridge, NJ, is in its third year. It began as a national initiative to bring healthy smiles to children who otherwise would not have access to dental care.
Parents, schools and community groups will be able to register their children for this program by calling the participating sites. A preliminary list of sites can be obtained at www.njda.org/gkas or via the GKAS hotline (888) 576-9278. In addition, information about the program is being distributed to schools, Head Starts, youth groups, and religious organizations throughout the state.
The New Jersey Dental Association (NJDA) is the tenth largest state dental association in the U.S. Founded in 1870, the NJDA is headquartered in North Brunswick and serves and supports its nearly 4,600 members and fosters the advancement of quality, ethical oral healthcare for the public.
The University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) comprises New Jersey's only medical schools, the state's only dental school, a nursing school, a graduate school of biomedical sciences, a school of health related professions and a school of public health on campuses in Newark, Piscataway/New Brunswick, Camden, Stratford and Scotch Plains. It is affiliated with more than 200 health care and educational institutions throughout the state.