One Day for UK, the University's annual giving day where students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends can support their favorite college, program, and cause, is taking place on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. This year, the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry (UKCD) wishes to support Saturday Morning Clinic (SMC), an effort to care for the underserved children of Kentucky.  

SMC first started in the 1980s with UKCD dental students providing dental care to children ages 4-12. The clinics are held monthly with approximately eight sessions per academic year and during those sessions dental students see an average of 30 patients. Last year, students treated a total of 152 patients, providing $23,791 in free dental care.  

During SMC sessions, students provide dental treatments such as cleanings, examinations, radiographs, sealants, simple restorative work, extractions, fluoride varnish, and Kindergarten screenings, as well as taking the time to teach good oral hygiene habits to patients and their care givers.  

Oral health is an important part of development for children and dental issues have the potential to cause eating, speaking, and self-esteem issues. Through programs such as SMC, students can help families who may not have access to essential dental care for their children, which provides education on oral health and hygiene, as well as preventative and comprehensive dental care. Children’s dental health is important as tooth decay is the most common chronic disease of children in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control.   

Please visit https://www.onedayforuk.uky.edu/dentistry if you wish to support SMC or any additional UKCD fund of your choice or sign up to be a BBNfluencer to help spread the word and motivate others to get involved at https://www.onedayforuk.uky.edu/giving-day/66798/signup.