The following post is from a message Stamford Dental Director Dr. Tinashe Chapfika, DDS, shared about providing services to Kids in Crisis as part of Give Kids a Smile:

February is Give Kids a Smile Month, and to honor that, Toma, Laxmi and I from CHC Franklin st., Stamford visited the Kids in Crisis center in Cos Cob, CT. The visit included oral hygiene education (with our furry, friendly, monkey muppet), oral hygiene demonstrations, product distribution, and a question answer session. Caries (cavities) is of the leading the number one reason for toothaches and days missed in school, With 13 children in attendance, the goal was to promote efficient oral hygiene methods to prevent future caries experience and to address any misconceptions about oral care.

We arrived at 2.30pm wearing our scrubs from the dental session earlier that day, and it was incredible to see the love and family communion shared by the children there. It was awesome for me to observe Laxmi and Toma teach the children in small groups how to care for their teeth, and ultimately, their overall wellbeing. We ended the day with a question answer session that focused mainly on esthetics, of course, but also identified one child who needed to re-visit her oral surgeon because of persistent symptoms from a procedure performed months ago. We all had a great time, and we look forward to going back again next year.