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Causes: Health, Public Health
Mission: The primary mission of the organization is to provide dental care at a reduced cost to at-risk children and to educate the public about proper dental hygiene, oral health, and nutrition.
Target demographics: provide children in under-served communities with oral health care and education
Geographic areas served: Philadelphia, PA & Washington, DC
Programs: Kids smiles, inc. And subsidiary (the "organization") is a nonprofit organization with offices in philadelphia, pennsylvania and washington, dc whose purpose is to provide an integrated program of dental care, in-house and outreach education, screening, and preventive services to give optimal treatment and health empowerment to at-risk children with little or no insurance. In 2014, the organization had 67 staff members, and had a total of 36,257 visits by under-served children for much needed dental services and education. The organization treats children from birth to age 18 through a unique model of first-rate clinical care integrated with outreach and in-house education programs. The clinical operation of the organization is able to treat 75-80 children per day in each office and is still adding between 200 and 300 new patients each month. These children are treated for services such as cleanings, exams, x-rays, fluoride treatment, fillings, sealants, extractions, and operating room services.
the kids smiles education program is the accompaniment to clinical services provided in the dental centers. Through this program, the organization partners with over 250 schools, head start programs, daycare centers, universities, community groups, and health fairs to provide outreach services including education, dental screenings, and preventive services in the community. Also, included in the education program is the kids smiles dental detective academy. The dental detective academy is the in-house education program that provides oral and overall healthcare education in the dental center waiting rooms. The purpose of the education program is to increase oral health and healthy lifestyle awareness, and to improve the overall oral health condition.