MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Minnesota dentists are offering free dental care for children in need on February 2 and 3, 2024. Appointments can be booked now. The Minnesota Dental Association (MDA) has hundreds of dental professionals volunteering at clinics across the state for Give Kids a Smile.

Finding a clinic with open appointments is as easy as visiting www.mndental.org or contacting the United Way – simply dial 2-1-1 on your phone or text your zip code to 898-211. Appointments can then be scheduled directly with the dental office. No eligibility questions are asked in an effort to remove any possible barrier to care.

Patients must be 18 years or younger and accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Specific services provided at each location will be outlined when an appointment is scheduled. Volunteers speaking multiple languages are available at several locations to help with language barriers.

Among the challenges:

• Tooth decay is one of the most chronic diseases in children and adolescents.
• Children from low-income families are twice as likely to have untreated cavities as higher-income children.
• Over half of children, aged 6 to 8 years, have had a cavity in their baby teeth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Well over half of Minnesota children enrolled in Medicaid have not received dental services in the past year.

Minnesota dentists have provided free care to 84,000 children and donated services valued at more than $26 million since 2003.

For more information about the Minnesota Dental Association’s Give Kids a Smile, visit mndental.org.

The Minnesota Dental Association is the voice of dentistry in Minnesota, representing practicing dentists. It is committed to the highest standards of oral health and access to care for all Minnesotans. Learn more at: www.mndental.org.

SOURCE Minnesota Dental Association