Save a Smile

Save a Smile | Meet Lina, a Patient Journey

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.

The Problem

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:

One in 7 children ages 1–17 (175,000 children) did not receive all needed dental care. This rate is nearly 9 times higher than the national estimates and 5 times higher than state estimates before the pandemic. Contributing factors were the COVID-19 pandemic, inadequate insurance to cover costs, and limited services in a family’s area.
One in 6 children (206,000 children) did not have a preventive dental visit, which was most common with children 5 years or younger, children of color, or children from low-income families.
Three in 10 school-age children (257,000 children) do not have excellent or very good oral health, and these children are twice as likely to miss school due to dental problems.

Program Overview

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:

Transportation for dental appointments
Translation (English, Spanish, and other languages)
Medical referrals and appointments
Medication assistance
Food/nutrition access
Assistance with completing and submitting Medicaid / CHIP applications
Financial assistance through Gill Children’s Services or Masonic Children & Family Services of Texas
Child Protective Services reports

Jared's Journey Save A Smile led by Cook Children's

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.

Volunteer dentist application

Because of you, more children in our community have happier, healthier smiles.

View our Sponsor Flyer

Cook Children's Save A Smile program

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.

Save A Smile School Screening Information

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.

What is Save a Smile? -SAS Schools

Accomplishments

This year SAS is celebrating their 20th anniversary of keeping kids smiling!

20 years highlights:

118,500 limited oral health evaluations provided
5,800 children identified with the most severe dental disease, received treatment
990 additional children that received treatment *Class 2, Class 3, Referral from School Nurses/families and children not completing treatment from previous school year
74,794 total proceures provided by volunteer SAS provider at a value of $11,225,381
54,134 social services provided by CHWs supporting students & their families in connecting children to oral health care comprehensive in scope

*As of August 2023

Click here for FY20 highlights.

Questions or comments

If you have any questions or would like more information about our program, please email Ottis Goodwin

Save a Smile

The Problem

Program Overview

Social Service

Dentists

Partners and supporters

School nurses and staff

Impact in the Community

Questions or comments