Marshall Health to host free dental clinic for uninsured children Feb. 7

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall Health will host its annual Give Kids A Smile® dental clinic Friday, Feb. 7 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Uninsured children can receive free dental services by appointment at Marshall Dentistry & Oral Surgery, located at 1616 13th Avenue, Suite 200, in the Fairfield Building in Huntington.

Give Kids A Smile® is a national initiative founded by the American Dental Association (ADA). This annual volunteer event helps underserved children who aren’t getting the oral health care they need. More than half of children ages 6 to 8 have had cavities in their primary (baby) teeth), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children from low-income families are twice as likely to have untreated cavities. This is the fourth year Marshall Health has hosted a free dental clinic during National Children’s Dental Health Month.

“Proper tooth development during childhood aids with both speech and digestion,” said Raj K. Khanna, D.M.D., M.D., chair of the department of dentistry, oral & maxillofacial surgery at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. “We enjoy hosting Give Kids A Smile each year, because it provides an opportunity to educate young patients and their parents about the importance of good oral hygiene throughout their lives.”

The event is open to any child 18 years of age and younger from a low-income family with no dental insurance. Patients will be seen by appointment only. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Marshall Dentistry & Oral Surgery at 304.691.1247.