The Lyon College School of Dental Medicine will host Give Kids a Smile Day on Friday, July 18, from 9 AM to noon as part of a national initiative aimed at ensuring access to quality oral health care for all children. The event will be held at the Lyon College School of Dental Medicine, 5 Allied Drive, Building 5, in Little Rock’s Riverdale neighborhood.
The event will offer free oral health screenings for children and adults, fluoride varnish applications, oral health care education, and children’s activities, including tooth fairy story time, a DJ dance party, face painting, and other fun activities for children.
Event sponsors include Delta Dental, First Community Bank, Quality Dental Lab, Benco Dental, and Nobel Biocare.
Give Kids a Smile Day was launched in 2003 by the American Dental Association Foundation to raise national awareness about the importance of oral health to overall health and about the need that exists among millions of children who go without dental care. This is the first year for the newly opened Lyon College School of Dental Medicine to participate.
According to current national statistics, more than half of children ages 6 to 8 have had a cavity in at least one of their baby (primary) teeth. More than half of adolescents ages 12 to 19 have had a cavity in at least one of their permanent teeth. Children ages 5 to 19 from low-income families are twice as likely (25%) to have cavities compared with children from higher-income households (11%), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We’re excited to bring Give Kids a Smile Day to central Arkansas and provide families with valuable resources in a fun, welcoming environment,” said Dr. Meagan Inclan, pediatric dentist, Lyon College School of Dental Medicine faculty member, and event organizer. “For many children, this may be their first dental visit, so we want to create a positive, educational experience that helps set the tone for lifelong oral health.”
Volunteers for the event will include students and faculty from the Lyon College School of Dental Medicine. Lyon College Nursing program students also will provide assistance.
“Through events like Give Kids a Smile Day, the Lyon College School of Dental Medicine students, faculty, and staff hope to demonstrate our commitment to public health advocacy and public health initiatives,” said Dr. Burke Soffe, founding dean of the school.
For more information about Give Kids a Smile at the Lyon College School of Dental Medicine, please contact the Lyon College Marketing and Communications Department at Communications@Lyon.edu.
About Lyon College
Lyon College, a private liberal arts institution founded in 1872, is the oldest college in the state with its original charter. Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a 2024 “Best College,” Lyon currently enrolls approximately 660 students from more than 30 states and 18 countries. Students can tailor their education, selecting from 25 majors, as well as pre-professional, individualized options and select graduate programs. Learn more at lyon.edu.
