Nearly 80 preselected children will received free dental care Friday at Cherry Tree Dental of Wausau.
This event is part of the American Dental Association's Give Kids a Smile Program. Dentists and other team members volunteer their time, and services, to provide screenings, treatments and education to children throughout the United States. Each year, approximately 450,000 children benefit from more than 1500 events, all because of the efforts of 40,000 or more annual volunteers.
Dr. Jeremy Hoffman told us, "The need is definitely in our area. People need good dental care and this is a way to do what we can. Even after we've been doing this, there is still a huge need out there for it."
Nearly one in four children, aged two to 11 years old have untreated cavities in their baby teeth, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Many children enrolled in Medicaid don't receive any dental services throughout the year.