Smile Awhile: On GKAS Day, Keeping Children Healthy

Kimora Jackson after a thorough brushing on GKAS day. PHOTO: JOHN EMERSON

Kimora Jackson, 7, left the dentist chair on Give Kids a Smile Day certain of one thing: “You should brush your teeth in a circle,’’ she pronounced.

She had just spent time with RSDM student Tiffany Graves, who coached her through a tooth-brushing session, holding a mirror to Kimora’s face so she could see the best way to wield a brush.

“You have two sides of your teeth and you have to do the inside and the outside,’’ instructed Graves, a third-year student.

Kimora was among hundreds of school children who visited RSDM clinics on Give Kids a Smile Day last month for a free dental screening and tips on oral healthcare.

But the day wasn’t all about brushing and flossing. On Give Kids s Smile Day, founded by the American Dental Association in 2003, the waiting rooms of RSDM become a carnivalesque place, filled with magicians, balloon animals and dental students in costumes ranging from Sponge Bob to giant tubes of toothpaste.

The nationwide event is held to raise awareness of the importance of oral health care among children, particularly those who are disadvantaged and have limited access to dental care.

RSDM student Tiffany Graves gives some tips to Kimora Jackson on GKAS day. PHOTO: JOHN EMERSON

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children have their first dental exam by age 12 months, or within six months after the first tooth is visible, which typically happens at six months.

But for many children on Give Kids a Smile day, the trip to RSDM is their first visit to the dentist.

“A lot of my kids don’t get dental care, ‘’ said Lynn Jacobs, school nurse at the Cleveland Street School in Newark.

Were any of them nervous? “No, they’re just excited that they’re on a field trip,’’ Jacobs answered with a laugh.

At Rutgers’ GKAS day, each child is examined and receives a cleaning, a fluoride treatment, a toothbrush and advice on taking care of their teeth and gums.

For RSDM students like Graves, it was a welcome reminder of the best way to communicate with patients. “I think we get so caught up in using big words we forget to explain things in simple terms,’’ she said, after helping Kimora on with her coat for the trip back to school.

The RSDM Galloway, Somerdale and Northfield clinics and Rutgers’ School of Health Related Professions in Scotch Plains also participated in the program.