ADA Foundation holds Give Kids A Smile Awards Gala in Washington, DC

Sen. Grassley, Rep. Dingell honored; Give Kids A Smile grants awarded

The American Dental Association (ADA) Foundation held its third annual Give Kids A Smile Awards Gala in Washington, DC, April 13, honoring two members of Congress and awarding several grants to programs that benefit underserved children.

The Gala celebrates the Give Kids A Smile program and provides a forum for America's dentists to recognize Members of Congress who have supported dentistry's oral health advocacy agenda.  This year, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) both were awarded the ADA's Leadership in Oral Health Advocacy Award.

The ADA commended Grassley's efforts to pass an ADA-proposed Medicaid amendment to the health care reform bill, which would have fixed Medicaid system flaws largely by improving reimbursement for dental procedures under that program.  Grassley also was instrumental in expanding the student loan interest deduction tax credit that is used by many dental school graduates.

Dingell's support of Medicaid and work on the Patient's Bill of Rights were cited as examples of his efforts to advance issues important to the dental profession and America's oral health.

Programs receiving $15,000 grants

Grants to programs that care for underserved children also are announced at the event, held during the ADA's Washington Leadership Conference.

Programs receiving $15,000 grants from the ADA Foundation's Give Kids A Smile Fund include:  America's Dentists Care Foundation, the Hispanic Dental Association, the National Dental Association, Oral Health America and Team Smile.

Now in its eighth year, Give Kids A Smile is dentistry's signature charitable program, delivering free oral health care to underserved children and calling attention to national unmet oral health needs.  Since its inception, Give Kids A Smile has served millions of children through the efforts of hundreds of thousands of volunteers.  Free services were delivered at more than 2,000 sites in 2010 on Give Kids A Smile Day.