NSU CDM Lasting Impressions Spring 2019

32 | COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE Greatest Smiles on Earth NSU’s CDM became the site of “The Greatest Smiles on Earth,” as a circus theme inspired the 2019 Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) event. This year, more than 160 children, ages 2 to 18, received free dental care from more than 200 CDM students and 100 CDM faculty, staff, and alumni volunteers. Attendees enjoyed cartoon characters, face painters, live DJ music, and an appearance by Timmy the Tooth. Students from NSU’s College of Pharmacy, College of Optometry, and Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine also were on hand to provide additional health advice. Unlike many other universities, NSU’s Give Kids A Smile is student led and organized, and includes monthly oral health education visits at various local schools. NSU faculty members donate their time to advise their dental students. This year’s sponsors included the American Student Dental Association, Colgate, Henry Schein, and the CDM’s Student Government Association. The Give Kids A Smile program, launched nationally by the American Dental Association Foundation in 2003, is one of the world’s largest oral health charitable programs. The program annually provides dental care to more than 350,000 children from low-income families across the country.