Children between the ages of one and six years from local low-income families were given free dental services such as screenings, cleanings and fluoride treatments at the HealthFirst Family Care Center on February 5, 2010 as part of national Give Kids a Smile day. Dr. Carl Ferreira, Dr. Phillip Robitaille and Dr. Suhair Shamoon teamed up with HealthFirst’s staff by donating their time and professional services to provide care to these children. Last year, more than 48,000 dental team members nationwide participated in Give Kids A Smile, a program first held in 2003 by the American Dental Association (ADA) to provide care and raise awareness of the importance of access to dental care for poor children. “It’s heartbreaking to see a child’s smile destroyed by severe tooth decay,” said Anila Khalid, Dental Director at HealthFirst. “Imagine not being able to eat, sleep and pay attention in school because you have a mouthful of cavities. Some children have reached the point where the only alternative is a mouth full of crowns or pulling the teeth that can’t be saved.” Nearly one in four children, aged two to 11 years old has untreated cavities in their baby teeth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For more information about services offered by HealthFirst, call Paula Harrison at 774-627-1204.
 

(Top row, left and right) Three-year-old Karis Bird gets her teeth cleaned by volunteer dentist Suhair Shamoon, DMD with the help of dental assistant Tamayra Rivera who also volunteer her time. (Top row, center) Dental Outreach Parent Coordinator Betty Nunes of the HealthFirst dental clinic greets the children dressed as the Tooth Fairy to help them overcome their anxiety. (Middle row, left) HealthFirst Dental Operations Coordinator Melissa Melanson, RDH and Dental Director Anila Khalid, DMD, chat with Dr. Shamoon. (Middle row, center) Anyeli Perez is greeted by Ms. Nunes as she arrives for her appointment. (Middle row, right) Karis' father, Jason Bird, chats with HealthFirst Director of Community Relations and Development Paula Harrison. (Bottom row) Anyeli has her teeth cleaned while her mother, Rosa Delgado, looks on.