Small Smiles Employees in Baltimore Give Back to the Community!

Since January, employees from Small Smiles of North Baltimore have been volunteering
at Sarah’s Hope. Sarah’s Hope is a shelter for homeless women and children on the west side of Baltimore. Housed in an old elementary school, Sarah’s Hope allows women and children to live together while they look for permanent housing.

The center provides hope for women who are struggling, but with limited means, there is only so much the center can do. The center has only one washer and dryer,
one TV, and a refrigerator that is only accessible by staff at meal times.

Once a month, the Small Smiles employees take time out of their busy schedules to purchase groceries, and prepare and serve a meal to the women and children of Sarah’s Hope.

Throughout the month, the Small Smiles staff also collects canned goods and baby products for the shelter. The staff at Small Smiles of North Baltimore calls their volunteer efforts “humbling” and are proud that the spirit of volunteerism has caught
on at their center.

We are proud of the CSHM-associated dental center employees at North Baltimore for making a difference in their community!

Small Smiles Employees in Colorado Springs Help "Stuff the Bus"!

Small Smiles employees in Colorado Springs helped area children prepare for Back-to-School by participating in the "Stuff the Bus" program! Small Smiles of Colorado Springs donated items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss to help keep kids in Colorado smiling as they head back to the classroom!

Watch the clip!

Check out "Brush, Brush, Brush and Floss!" as performed by Kaiah Harris, a Small Smiles of Reno Patient

Watch Kaiah perform "Brush, Brush, Brush and Floss!"

Dr. Adair Speaks to Dentistry IQ About Serving the Underserved

Dr. Steve Adair recently spoke with Kevin Henry, editor of Dentistry IQ, about the importance of dental care for children -- and the role that parents play in ensuring their children have healthy smiles.

"In our clinics around the country, we daily see children come in with numerous cavities caused by diet, poor oral hygiene, lack of education about oral health, and more. All clinicians can do is try to keep up with the decay. If better care could be provided for the parents, I think it would turn the tide. Studies have shown that the children of mothers with untreated cavities are twice as likely to have untreated cavities. Mothers with regular dental care rated their health significantly higher than those who didn’t receive regular care. Another study has shown children are much more likely to visit the dentist if their parents visit the dentist regularly."

-- Dr. Steve Adair

Click here to read the article.

Small Smiles of Greenville Participates in Bright Red Bookshelf Program

Recently, Small Smiles of Greenville, in partnership with Ready 4 Reading and Leadership Greenville, was the recipient of a "Bright Red Bookshelf."

The "Bright Red Bookshelf" program provides gently used books for children and families that visit the center for dental care. Statistics show that in low-income neighborhoods, only one book exists for every 300 children.

“Every day our dental center sees children from low-income and disadvantaged families,” said Dr. Cynthia Baldwin, Lead Dentist at Small Smiles of Greenville. “We work to ensure that Greenville’s children have access to the dental care that they need and are proud to welcome the Bright Red Bookshelf Program into our dental center. Providing access to books through the program will help promote literacy among our patients and in our community.”

Dr. Dogiparthi Named a Top Dentist in New Hampshire

Recently, Dr. Mukunda Dogiparthi from Small Smiles of Manchester was named a top dentist in New Hampshire by USA Top Dentists and New Hampshire Magazine.

Congratulations to Dr. Dogiparthi and her staff at Small Smiles of Manchester for this tremendous accomplishment and for providing high-quality and compassionate care in their dental center every day.

Small Smiles Dentists Explain the Impact of Proposed MassHealth Dental Cuts

From the Worcester Telegram & Gazette

MassHealth dental care helps many

As dentists who spend every day treating the low-income population in Massachusetts, we can attest to the impact that the MassHealth dental care cuts for adults, proposed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives, will have on the state’s long-term finances and the overall wellness of our most vulnerable populations.

Dental care isn’t just about having clean teeth. Regular trips to the dentist can help head off the additional costs and pain caused by other health problems such as poor nutrition and dangerous infections — conditions that also add additional strain to the state’s public health resources.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans have the poorest oral health of all racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Adults below the federal poverty level are also more likely to have decayed and missing teeth. Cutting benefits will disproportionately impact the very people most in need of dental care.

Finding other forms of dental coverage is very difficult for this population. A 2008 report by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 59 percent of low-income adults have no dental coverage, and more than one in six low-income adults who lack dental coverage reported being unable to get care.

Because people from low-income populations are more likely to have dental health problems and less likely to have access to care, it is vital for the Massachusetts House of Representatives to reverse its course and protect funding for MassHealth dental services.

Dr. Maureen George, Small Smiles of Worcester

Dr. Yogita Kanorwalla, Small Smiles of Springfield