OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) — The Salvation Army Dental Center, located at 217 Sycamore Street in Oil City, will be hosting a Give Kids a Smile event on Wednesday, April 18, 2018.

“Give Kids a Smile” is an annual event supported by the American Dental Association Foundation. The program was launched nationally by the American Dental Association in 2003.

Tonya Fleming, Office Manager at the Salvation Army Dental Center, told exploreVenango.com that Dr. James Mancini brought the idea for the event to Oil City a few years after the American Dental Association Foundation started the program.

This will be the sixth year the Salvation Army Dental Center has held the event, which provides oral health services, including dental screening, cleaning, fluoride treatment, and if warranted, X-rays, for children under the age of 18 at no cost.

Fleming said, “We would really like to see this program grow. Last year was our best year; we scheduled 258 kids. This year, we would like to schedule between 350 and 375.”

“It’s not just for those in our area, either,” Fleming noted, “we pull in people from Clarion, Crawford, and Mercer County too. This can help establish a dental home for those who don’t already have one.”

“That is what the Salvation Army is here for,” Fleming added, “to help others.”

The event is by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, please call The Oil City Salvation Army Dental Center at 814-670-0374.

Parent/guardian consent is required. Forms will be provided when calling for an appointment.

Transportation assistance may be available; please discuss this when calling for an appointment.

This event is made possible through partnerships with The Oil City Salvation Army Dental Center, Dr. Brittany Kinol, DMD, UPMC Mobile Dental Van, County Human Services, Community Services, AmeriHealth Caritas of Pennsylvania, McDonald’s of Oil City, Keystone Smiles, AmeriCorps, Children’s Hospital, University of Pittsburg School of Dental Medicine, Child Development Centers, PA Department of Health and The Venango County Dental Task Force.

The ADA Foundation’s “Give Kids A Smile” program has served more than 5.5 million underserved children since its inception 15 years ago. The program offers free oral health services provided by volunteers, including approximately 10,000 dentists, along with 30,000 other dental team members.