The NYU College of Dentistry opened its pediatric dentistry resources to hundreds of neighborhood children on Friday, February 4, 2011, for the American Dental Association’s annual Give Kids a Smile (GKAS) day. WABC-TV previewed the event on February 3 by covering a visit by the NYUCD Smiling Faces, Going Places mobile dental van to a public school in Brooklyn. To view the video of that visit, go to http://www.nyu.edu/dental/news/nyucdtv/.

GKAS was created to highlight the ongoing challenges that underserved children face in accessing oral health care and to build support among policymakers for public and private solutions that provide regular access. At NYU, children arrived throughout the day for dental treatment, screenings, education, career information about what it’s like to be a dentist, and nutrition consultations provided by NYU faculty and student volunteers. Representatives from Henry Schein Dental, the founding exclusive professional product sponsor of GKAS, were on hand to assist children participating in "Reach Out and Read" activities and at a "Give Yourself a Smile" crafts table.

In congratulating the GKAS sponsors and volunteers, Dean Bertolami said, "GKAS is a goal that we can all rally around; namely, providing care for children and spotlighting the need to address healthcare disparities in the United States."