HAYDEN — The waiting room wall at Avondale Dental Group office reads: "A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear."

The staff demonstrates daily a commitment to that adage, but the first Friday in February is always a little extra special.

For over 20 years, the Avondale Dental Group, 1683 E. Miles Ave., has been making kids smile on Give Kids a Smile day. The dental team provided about $30,000 in free dental services to children in need on Friday, said dentist Korey Wilson.

Wilson has been participating in Give Kids a Smile Day since 2007.

All employees who help with the annual half-day program serve voluntarily, said dentist Katie Martin, who joined the group in 2012. The crew gets treated to lunch at The Porch directly afterward.

“Katie and I are both from Coeur d’Alene, so for us and a lot of people here, it’s really important to feel like we’re giving back to the community and doing our part,” said Wilson. “It’s sometimes assumed in Coeur d’Alene that there isn’t the need that exists for children specifically. A lot of times dentistry is passed over in terms of federal and state help to make it easy for kids to get care.”

About 25 kids were treated Friday.

“We want to find the ones that really need it the most,” Martin said.

“It’s really interesting to see kids that are here and their level of need,” Wilson said. “How they sometimes have pain and nobody knows it but them, until you actually do a root canal and get them out of pain. The effects that tooth pain has can be pretty profound.”

Children with financial hardships and no dental insurance are eligible. The Avondale Group works with local schools to find those patients, Martin said. The annual event is held nationally, on the first Friday in February, which is Children’s Dental Health Month.

Alana Gomes, 14, was all smiles as she comfortably bantered with staff while waiting in the dental chair for Dr. Wilson and hygienist Valerie Horn to begin several small fillings Friday morning.

This is the second Give Kids a Smile day that she’s been a part of, she said.

There are things that the public can do to help, Wilson said.

“A lot of times the kids that need it the most don’t have the means to access the flier,” he said.

Advocates working with those children can help by connecting them with resources such as those offered by the Avondale Group. The public can also encourage their own dentists to participate in the event in their own offices, he suggested.

“It’s a lot of fun to be part of something that you know is helping the community,” said Alexa Fouch, marketing assistant for the Avondale Dental Group.