Western Dental Joins with San Diego County Dental Society to Provide Free Dental Care

SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Western Dental & Orthodontics, one of the nation’s leaders in accessible, affordable oral healthcare and the leading orthodontics provider in the country, has partnered with the San Diego County Dental Society, the County’s Dental Health Initiative and Share the Care in support of the American Dental Association’s “Give Kids a Smile” program, which provides free dental screenings, dental sealants and fluoride varnishes to underserved children.

The free dental services will be provided at one-day clinics at all 16 Western Dental and Western Dental Kids locations in San Diego County through March 19. Dental sealants and fluoride varnishes are painless and effective treatments for the prevention of tooth decay, the single most common chronic disease among children.

“We know that far too many children do not have access to the care they need,” said Dr. John Luther, Chief Dental Officer at Western Dental. “For us, joining with the SDCDS is a great way to serve and support communities where we have offices.”

The Give Kids A Smile® (GKAS) program, launched nationally in 2003, provides underserved children ages 1 through 18 with free oral health care. Each year approximately 6,500 dentists and 30,000 dental team members volunteer at local GKAS events to provide free oral health education, screenings, preventive and restorative treatment to over 300,000 children. More than 6 million underserved children have received free oral health services through the GKAS program.

Appointments are required at the free GKAS events, which kicked off Monday, February 22, and will continue for four weeks at these times and locations:

Western Dental Location		Date		Phone
3805 Mission Ave, Suite A Oceanside, CA 92058		Tuesday, March 2		760-439-0434
1450 N. Imperial Ave, El Centro, CA 92243		Wednesday, March 3		760-370-3951
12649 Poway Rd, Poway, CA 92064		Thursday, March 4		858-375-7401
1539 E Plaza Blvd, National City, CA 91950		Friday, March 5		619-474-1072
286 Euclid Ave #201 San Diego, CA 92114		Friday, March 5		619-477-3386
4123 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92105		Tuesday, March 9		760-480-8700
1468 E. Valley Parkway, Escondido, CA 92027		Tuesday, March 9		760-480-8700
169 S. Rancho Santa Fe Road, San Marcos, CA 92078		Wednesday March 10		760-916-9596
1450 N Santa Fe Ave, Suite A&C, Vista, CA 92083		Thursday, March 11		760-322-8713
7046 Broadway, Lemon Grove, CA 91945		Friday, March 12		619-419-1347
5807 University Ave, Suite 3-5, San Diego, CA 92115		Wednesday, March 17		619-610-1132
583 N 2nd St, El Cajon, CA 92021		Thursday, March 18		619-440-6222

“The doctors and staff who serve at these events fill a real need and provide a valuable service to the community,” said Edwin Rivera, Vice President-Community Engagement & Strategic Alliances for Western Dental. “We are happy to be a part of this and grateful to all who participate.”

For more information on the GKAS event, visit www.westerndental.com or call 1-800-6-DENTAL. For a comprehensive list of participating dental offices throughout the county, visit www.sdcds.org.

ABOUT WESTERN DENTAL

Western Dental (with its supported affiliates, including Brident Dental & Orthodontics and Vital Smiles) is one of the nation’s leaders in accessible, affordable oral health care, serving approximately 3 million patient visits annually in 323 affiliated offices throughout California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada and Alabama. In addition to general dentistry, Western Dental offers orthodontics, oral surgery, pediatric dentistry, periodontics and endodontics in its offices, creating a convenient full service “Dental Home.” All of Western Dental’s services are backed by a unique quality assurance system that electronically monitors all patient visits, treatments, dental staff and clinical performance to enable high-quality care. To learn more about Western Dental or inquire about an office in your community, visit www.westerndental.com or call 1-800-6-DENTAL.