Free dental screenings for children in Upper Manhattan to “Give Kids a Smile”

New York.- Childrenfrom across Upper Manhattan will receive free screenings, treatments, andeducational lessons from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM)faculty and students as part of the American Dental Association’s national“Give Kids a Smile Day” on Friday, February 5, 2016. Nearly 50,000 dentalprofessionals and volunteers will provide free educational, preventive, andrestorative dental services to children from low-income families at 2,000locations nationwide.

An estimated four tofive million children in America have dental problems so severe they havetrouble eating, sleeping, and learning. In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General hascalled dental disease a “silent epidemic.”

The New York event ispart of CDM’s Community DentCare program, which will be providing freecomprehensive dental screenings for children in need at seven public schoolsand at CUMC’s pediatric dental clinic in Washington Heights that day.

WHAT: GIVE KIDS A SMILE DAY – Columbia UniversityCollege of Dental Medicine’s team will be providing free dental screenings,oral health education, and goody bags to hundreds of children in need ofpreventative oral healthcare and treatment.

WHO: CDM dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants. CDM’sparticipation is being sponsored by Henry Schein, Inc.

WHERE: Schools participating include: Bea Fuller/I.S.528, P.S. 178, P.S. 189, Dos Puentes Dual Language School, and the College ofDental Medicine Pediatric Clinic at 722 Haven Avenue.

WHEN: FRIDAY, Feb. 5, 2016, from 8:30 a.m. to 12: 30p.m. For precise screening times at each school, please contact Leydis D. De LaCruz at 212-305-1045 or 917-374-7620.

Columbia University College ofDental Medicine (CDM)was established in 1916 as the School of Dental and Oral Surgery, when theSchool became incorporated into Columbia University. The College’s mission hasevolved into a tripartite commitment to education, patient care, and research. Themission of the College of Dental Medicine is to train generaldentists, dental specialists, and dental assistants in a setting thatemphasizes comprehensive dental care delivery and stimulates professionalgrowth; inspire, support, and promote faculty, pre- and postdoctoral student,and hospital resident participation in research to advance the professionalknowledge base; and provide comprehensive dental care for the underservedcommunity of Northern Manhattan. For more information, please visit: http://dental.columbia.edu/

Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic,preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; andpatient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes thededicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals,dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the MailmanSchool of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing,the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, andallied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Medical Center ishome to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State andone of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. For moreinformation, visit cumc.columbia.edu or columbiadoctors.org.