Lasting Impressions | Summer 2016

NSU COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE x 11 W hen NSU’s College of Dental Medicine launched its first version of the Ameri- can Dental Association’s Give Kids A Smile program 13 years ago, about 100 children in desperate need of basic dental care showed up. Year after year, attendance continues to increase at the CDM’s popular community outreach event. The 2016 event surpassed attendance records, attracting more than 750 children and special-needs patients. The university’s event has become so highly respected that the American Dental Association’s Foundation (ADAF) selected NSU’s CDM as the national kickoff site for this annual program, which is held at 1,500 locations across the United States. The CDM event was organized by dental students who, supervised by CDM professors, performed free dental cleanings, applied sealants, and filled cavities throughout the day for children ages 2 to 18. The children also learned the value of proper brushing, hand- washing, and good nutrition. In addition to its national attention, the CDM’s Give Kids A Smile event has evolved to become interdisci- plinary, with participation from students in NSU’s colleges of Pharmacy, Optometry, and Osteopathic Medicine, as well as the physician assistant programs. Carol Gomez Summerhays, D.D.S., ADA president, said the program teaches potentially life-changing habits. “The skills they will learn about taking care of their mouth health through daily brushing and flossing will benefit them for a lifetime,” said Summerhays, who is based in San Diego, California. “It will also make a