UKIAH, Calif. – February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, and Mendocino Community Health Clinic (MCHC) continued its annual tradition of caring for the most vulnerable people in our community by participating in “Give Kids a Smile Day.”

On the first Saturday of February, dental employees from all three sites – in Ukiah, Willits and Lakeport – volunteered to provide thousands of dollars worth of free dental care to children who could not otherwise afford it.

“'Give Kids a Smile Day' is a great event,” said Dental Manager Becky Driscoll. “This year we provided more than $15,000 worth of free dental care to 41 pediatric patients.”

The event requires preparation in identifying qualified patients, setting up appointments, preparing equipment and supplies, and cleaning and sterilizing everything after the patients leave.

Dental Director Dr. Doug Lewis thanked the dentists and then made a special point to recognize the employees who support the event, saying, “The real heroes are the staff: the patient service representatives, dental assistants, sterile techs, and HealthCorps members. They organize it, they arrange the patients, they set up the rooms, and then they shut everything down at the end.”

Give Kids a Smile Day is a national event in which thousands of dentists and their teams provide free oral health care services to children from low-income families.

In February and throughout the year, MCHC provides dental care to children.

For more information, call 707-468-1010.