craigdailypress.com

Craig — In the previous two years the Northwest Dental Coalition has offered the Give Kids A Smile Day, the one-day event has been "booked solid," said Janet Pearcey, director of the Northwest Colorado Dental Coalition.

So solid that the previous events, which provided free dental care to uninsured residents ages 20 and younger, had waiting lists in case someone canceled.

But, it's not to that point for this year's event, scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 1 at the Coalition's Craig location, 485 Yampa Ave.

At least not yet.

Appointments for this year's event, which is held nationwide and hosted by the American Dental Association, can be made by calling the Coalition at 824-8000.

"We just want to get (knowledge about the event) out there so people can start calling," Pearcey said.

She added, "It's important to reach those kids who are uninsured. It's a way for them to get into the dental setting and start the work in hopes that the parents will bring them back to finish it.

"Sometimes it just takes that initial step to get them motivated."

Of the 20-some youths who attended the last year's event, Pearcey estimated that 80 percent continued treatment afterward.

"I would say a good portion of them were patients that we had seen at one point and, for whatever reason, had not finished the work and, for whatever reason, needed to come back," Pearcey said.

She said the four volunteers and Coalition staff provided an estimated $7,000 worth of work to youths during last year's event.

Pearcey expects this year's event to be booked solid again but said there is another program that will give additional youths a chance to be seen in the future.

The Coalition is using the $20,000 it received from the Delta Foundation last year to put on three to four more free clinics, called Smile-A-Bration. Two such clinics are planned for Steamboat Springs and one to two in Craig.

No timeframe is in place for the Craig Smile-A-Bration, but Pearcey is eying a time in March to possibly see youths in during Spring Break.

"We're going to have at least one more in Craig," she said, "so the ones that we can't get into this one (Give Kids a Smile), we will definitely put in the coming up one."

Jerry Raehal can be reached at 824-7031, ext. 204, or jraehal@craigdailypress.com