Amador County – More than 90 children received free dental care from the Jackson Creek Dental Group and other local dentists, with the generosity of the 2011 Smiles For Kids program.

An essential part of the annual program is “making sure they all have access to needed follow-up treatment,” said Jackson Creek Dental Group’s Sandy Garcia. She said “children were sporting big smiles” as those who qualified underwent free exams, x-rays, teeth cleaning, sealant application, fluoride treatments, and emergency treatment.

Children who “would not otherwise be able to receive dental care” were treated by three local dentists, their staff and other licensed staff from neighboring dental offices, along with community members, all giving the care on a volunteer basis. They treated 62 children on Jan. 22 for pro-bono services totaling over $17,000. The remaining 29 children will be seen over the next two weeks.

Dentists participating on Smiles for Kids day were Doctors Ask, Roda and Simpson of Jackson Creek Dental Group, who will also be offering crucial follow-up treatment. Other doctors who will help with the follow-up treatment are Doctors Durkin, Eaton, Kinzer, Montalbo, Ordonez, Schiappa and Valencia.

So far, 38 of the children were referred to local dentists for further treatment as part of the program, and 14 were sent to specialists in Sacramento as part of the Sacramento District Dental Society’s Adopt-a-Child, Orthodontic, and Specialty Referral Care Programs.

“We were very pleased to see so many parents bringing their children in to be seen during Smile for Kids day,” said Dr. Leon Roda.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.