Save a Smile, led by Cook Children's, provides more than free dental care for children whose families can't afford it. Watch Jared's heart-wrenching journey through our program.
Save a Smile was founded in 2003 by Cook Children’s to address a gap in oral health services for underserved children. Save a Smile is an innovative, nationally recognized, collaborative program dedicated to providing restorative and preventive dental care to children from low-income families in the community through volunteer dentists. Children eligible for the program are pre-kindergarten through sixth grade at high risk for dental disease from schools pre-selected by the Save a Smile program and participating school districts.
The school-based grassroots approach of the program includes a social service model and is the key component to connecting children to the care they need.
Child oral health is achieved through proper preventive care and prompt treatment for dental problems for both children and pregnant women. Children with untreated dental problems may have difficulty with pain, eating, self-esteem or school attendance. In more severe cases, children need emergency care, hospitalization or surgical procedures. According to Cook Children’s most recent community health needs assessment:
Dental screenings (limited oral evaluations) are conducted at participating schools annually by licensed volunteer dentists to identify children with current or potential dental problems. Depending on the severity of the dental problem, age of the child, translation requirement, and financial/insurance status - a referral is made to the appropriate volunteer dental provider participating in Save a Smile.
Volunteer dentists are matched with qualifying patients and dental care is given in the dentists’ private offices, free of charge to the families. Children with CHIP or Medicaid are connected with a Medicaid/CHIP provider selected through their coverage.
Save a Smile employs a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) who manages Community Health Workers. They work directly with students and their families to determine and assist with any social services needs in addition to their dental issues. Services provided include:
Save a Smile, led by Cook Children's, provides more than free dental care for children whose families can't afford it. Watch Jared's heart-wrenching journey through our program.
The Save a Smile program is successful because of the wonderful dentists who volunteer their time and talents to help kids. These dentists are matched with qualifying patients and then they provide dental care in their offices, free of charge to the families.
The Fort Worth District Dental Society plays a vital role in providing professional guidance and recruitment support. Since the program's inception, more than $11.3 million of dental care has been provided by Save a Smile volunteer dentists/specialists.
If you are a dentist who would like to become part of Save a Smile, contact Tonya K. Fuqua, at 682-885-6731 or email saveasmile@cookchildrens.org.
Because of you, more children in our community have happier, healthier smiles.
Cook Children's CEO, Rick Merrill, talks about the importance of dental health to a child's growth and development and how Save a Smile, led by Cook Children's, is making a difference for kids in our region.
See how North Texas dental care providers are generously saving smiles one child at a time through Save a Smile, led by Cook Children's.
Accomplishments
This year SAS is celebrating their 20th anniversary of keeping kids smiling!
20 years highlights:
*As of August 2023
Click here for FY20 highlights.
If you have any questions or would like more information about our program, please email Tonya K. Fuqua, D.D.S.