Our largest and most far-reaching project, Smiles for Kids® (SFK) (originally founded in 1991 by Dr. Don Rollofson and Dr. Gerard Ortner) was adopted and expanded by the Foundation in 2003. It partners member dentists with local schools to screen and provide dental education to thousands of children each year. From the screenings, underinsured and underserved children are treated by member dentists and their teams on SFK Day each February. More than half of those children are then “adopted” for further pro bono treatment – including specialty and orthodontic treatment. Each year, thousands of dollars in pro bono treatment is provided to children in the five county SDDS area. Smiles for Kids is making great strides toward reversing the disheartening statistics that plague the children of our community.
Since 1991, Smiles for Kids has:
- Served more than a million children!
- Provided $16 million in free dental services to thousands of children
- Provided thousands of children with pro bono orthodontic treatment
Support Smiles for Kids
This program serves as much more than simply a means for providing treatment—it draws awareness to the issues of poor oral health and access to care, and it fosters outreach, education and partnership within our community to take responsibility for this problem and help improve it! Through Smiles for Kids, we can make a difference and give the children of our community what they truly deserve—a smile to last a lifetime.
Thank you to our Smiles for Kids Grantors & Donors!
Contributions
- William J. Codiga Family Fund
- Staff of Dr. Maryam Saleh
- Mrs. Cookie Lawrence
- Gordon & MaryAnn Harris Family Fund
- Kiwanis – Club of Lincoln
- Dr. Temurkin Cucukov
- Dr. Victor Fong
- Dr. Miguel Guerra
- Evan Matthew, Trek Financial
- Dan & Annette Vistica
- Dr. Michael Tavallaei & Mrs. Atieh Amooyean
How You Can Help
- Become a Smiles for Kids Sponsor or Volunteer
- Make a Monetary Contribution
- Make a Supply Donation
- Donate your time on Smiles for Kids Day as a site volunteer!
Puppet Shows – Oral Health Education
SDDS, SDDF, Sutter Health and Liberty Dental Plan team up together with Puppet Art Theater to bring two puppet shows and a game show to the area school children. During the pandemic, we went online and did live-streaming, but we are back doing live shows throughout the five county area. Thousands of children enjoy these shows each year – parents and teachers enjoy it too!
Thanks very much to Puppet Art Theater!
Sponsors – Thank You to the Puppet Show Sponsors
Clay and the Sugarsaurus Rex
A show developed for Pre-K through 1st graders. See a preview of the show below. Contact us to book your shows at smilesforkids@sdds.org
The Adventures of Sir Enamel
A show developed for K through 4th graders. See a preview of the show below. Contact us to book your shows at smilesforkids@sdds.org
Realizing that not only kids in our community were in need of oral health services and education, but our elderly population – those with fixed incomes – were also in serious need of support with dental care. In 2009, the Smiles for Big Kids program began with the goal of serving the elderly, the veterans who had no services, parents of Smiles for Kids patients, and anyone over the age of 21 who “fell between the cracks,” could not afford co-pays and who needed services. Today this program has grown to include those adults who have come to our area as refugees and who are waiting for insurance coverage, women who are homeless, overcoming homelessness, emancipated youth/college students, women who are escaping a violent situation and more. In addition to doing screenings and oral health education programs, our SDDS members provide pro-bono care to those who qualify. This program works hard to give the disadvantaged adults of our community what they truly deserve – a healthy mouth, a healthy body, a healthy mind, a healthy life and hope for a better future!
Thank you to our Smiles for Big Kids Grantors!
Community organizations we have partnered with:
In 2005, the Foundation partnered with Star Refining, a metal refinery and began Crowns for Kids® (CFK) to benefit Smiles for Kids. In this program, member dentists’ patients donate scrap metal from their dental treatment. The metal is refined and the cash donation is given to the Foundation for the Smiles for Kids program. This program is nearing the half million dollar mark – thanks to our generous SDDS members and their patients. It all goes to benefit SFK!
Call SDDS at 916.446.1227 for a pick up!
