Give Kids a Smile
What is the Give Kids a Smile Mobile Dental Program?
The Bethany for Children & Families Give Kids a Smile Mobile Dental Program provides preventative and restorative care to children who do not have access to oral health care. Give Kids a Smile is a community program aimed at increasing access to dental care for underserved, low-income children. This program is endorsed by the American Dental Association (ADA) and the ADA Foundation and is coordinated locally by its Advisory Board.
Eligibility for Give Kids a Smile
Services are available to children ages one to 18. Children who haven’t been to a dentist within the past six months are eligible if they are at or below 200% of the federal poverty level or they have Medicaid insurance or they do not have any dental insurance or they have never been to a dentist.
​
Locations for Give Kids a Smile
The Give Kids a Smile Mobile Dental Program takes place on the mobile dental clinic that travels directly to schools in Rock Island, Henry, Mercer, Scott, Jackson, and Cedar counties. Licensed dental staff members provide services in the mobile dental clinic. An additional 34 general dentists and specialists provide follow-up work in their offices.
​
Services Provided by Give Kids a Smile
Children who qualify for this program receive the following dental services on the mobile dental clinic free of charge:
-
Education to help improve oral health;
-
Cleaning;
-
Exam;
-
Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) if needed;
-
Fluoride treatment; and
-
Sealants (if needed).
​
Dentists or specialists and Community Health Care provide follow-up care. These services may include:
-
Fillings;
-
Extractions; and
-
Root canals.
​
Follow-Up Care with Give Kids a Smile
It is very important that parents/Guardians schedule and attend follow-up appointments for their child(ren). Notify the provider as soon as possible if you are unable to attend your follow-up appointment to avoid consequences of no-shows. Each provider has their own specific no-show policy.
Referring Children to Give Kids a Smile
School nurses send out a permission form via the children at their school. The forms are returned to the school nurse, who then gives the forms to the Program Supervisor. Give Kids a Smile staff members review the forms for completeness and then, based on the information provided, decides whether or not a child meets requirements for the program.
​
Program Outcomes for Give Kids a Smile
The Give Kids a Smile Dental Program has been very successful since its inception in 2003.
-
​The Give Kids A Smile Program now sees an average of 2,400 children per school year.
-
48% of children served have at least one cavity, and 11% have more than five cavities. These children are referred to dental offices for restorative care.
Permission Slips
Fall 2025 GKAS Schedule
June:​​
-
6/17/25 ThePlace2Be
August: ​​​
-
8/11/25 KinderCare
-
8/13/25 Playtime University and Heritage Academy
-
8/14/25 Small Hands Big Hearts
-
8/18/25 UTHS
-
8/20/25 George O. Barr
-
8/21 & 8/22 Earl Hanson Elementary & Edison Jr. High
-
8/25/25 Glenview Middle School
-
8/28 & 8/29 Hamilton Elementary
October:
-
10/1/25 Aspire Education Center
-
10/2-10/3 George Washington Elementary
-
10/9/25 Project Now/Head Start
-
10/15/25 Skip A Long - Milan/RI
-
10/16/25 Skip A Long - Moline
-
10/17/25 Willard Elementary
-
10/20/25 Jefferson Early Childcare Center
-
10/22-/10/23 Ridgewood Elementary - East Moline
-
10/27/25 Denkmann Elementary
-
10/30-10/31 Ridgewood Elementary - Rock Island
September:
-
9/3/25 Orion Schools
-
9/4-9/5 Lincoln Irving
-
9/8-9/9 Logan Elementary
-
9/11-9/12 Rock Island Academy
-
9/15/25 Rock Island Center for Math & Science
-
9/18-9/19 Hillcrest Elementary
-
9/22/25 Jane Addams Elementary
-
9/24 & 9/26 Wells Elementary
-
9/25/25 Roosevelt Elementary
-
9/29/25 Washington Jr. High
November:
-
11/3/25 Franklin Elementary
-
11/6-11/7 Thomas Jefferson Elementary
-
11/10/25 Riverdale Schools - Port Byron
-
11/13/25 Rock Island High School
-
11/14/25 Butterworth Elementary
-
11/17/2025 Bicentennial Elementary
-
11/18/2025 Black Hawk Area Special Education Center (BHASED)
-
11/19/2025 YWCA daycare - Rock Island
-
11/20/25 Northeast Junior High
-
11/21/25 Eugene Field Elementary
-
11/24/25 Hampton Elementary
A Story of Success from Clients of the
Give Kids a Smile Mobile Dental Program
Jason’s dental needs were urgent. When the Give Kids a Smile mobile dental clinic came to his school, the dentist noted he had at least nine cavities. One was very big and painful. Within a week, nine-year-old Jason had a follow-up appointment with Dr. Lloyd, a Give Kids a Smile partner dentist, who determined that Jason actually had ten areas of decay. Two teeth required extraction, and eight others needed fillings. Over the course of three months, Jason had five appointments with Dr. Lloyd. When his restorative care was complete, Dr. Lloyd invited Jason to stay on as a permanent patient.
​
Since July 2011, a group of Quad Cities dentists have partnered with Bethany for Children & Families to resolve the access to dental care for uninsured and under-insured children of the community. The Give Kids a Smile program coordinates oral examinations, cleaning, sealants, and restorative services for children in need. Bethany’s mobile dental clinic travels the greater metropolitan area of the Quad Cities providing oral health services to children like Jason who have no dental insurance or who have the state provided Medicaid coverage.
​
Many low income families find that dental insurance is unaffordable. Regular visits to a local dentist’s office are beyond the family’s resources, and the dental needs of kids like Jason go unattended. What the Give Kids a Smile Program does is remove the financial barriers to make available basic oral health.
​
​