The Nashville Sounds, Delta Dental of Tennessee, and cityCURRENT recently hosted the third annual Kids Dental Day at First Horizon Park. More than 400 kids of all ages from the Nashville area received free dental screenings, a new pair of socks and shoes, snacks, a new book, and Sounds souvenirs as they prepared for the new school year. Approximately 80% of the kids screened at the event needed additional dental care and were able to receive a complimentary cleaning onsite, as well as a referral to Meharry or Neighborhood Health for follow-up care, as needed.
“We are honored to partner with Delta Dental and Samaritan’s Feet to grow the community impact of our annual Kids Dental Day,” said Adam English, General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of the Nashville Sounds. “Community is so important to us, so seeing our partners and many community organizations come together to make an impact for hundreds of children right here in Middle Tennessee is really special.”
A dental checkup is a critical part of a child’s back to school routine because children with poor oral health are three times more likely than their peers to miss school, and poor oral health can have a detrimental effect on a child’s quality of life and success later in life. The high number of kids screened at the event that needed additional care (80%, compared to 40% of kids last year) underscores the urgency of reversing an alarming post-pandemic trend: the number of kids receiving routine preventive declined, resulting in increases in dental decay.
Source: Free Dental Screenings Provided at Nashville’s Kids Dental Day / Dentistry Today