HAYDEN — Children lined up for smiles Friday at the annual Give Kids a Smile event at Avondale Dental in Hayden.

Kids shrieked with energy, and some teens shrugged with indifference, while the dental office staff provided free dental care for any children with an appointment for the event, which is one day a year when Avondale Dental provides kids with free X-rays, exams, fluoride varnish, fillings, extractions and pulpotomies.

“It’s really important for us to be able to give back to the community,” said Dr. Kory Wilson, owner of Avondale Dental Group. “There’s a big need for it, as we see.”

Wilson worked with Dr. James Robson, the founder of Avondale Dental Group, who started Give Kids a Smile over 25 years ago, and Wilson continues his legacy. The group collaborated through Head Start to find kids who needed dental care, but couldn’t afford it, and provided free dental work. The program has evolved over the years to include all children under 18, often referred by school counselors.

“It’s been just amazing to have my kids be able to keep all of their teeth and not have to worry about how,” said Sarah Jacobs, a Kootenai County resident with five teenagers.

Jacobs doesn’t have insurance and she’s been coming to Give Kids a Smile for years.

“This is so helpful because I can keep up on it, and they’ll keep their teeth,” Jacobs said.

Her children have had X-rays done, cavities filled and cleanings, all for free. The only work the doctors won’t do is root canals or work that requires multiple visits.

Four doctors, six hygienists, five dental assistants and one French bulldog mascot all volunteered their time.

“There are some parents who actually start crying, and they can’t believe that people still want to help,” said Cammy Turner, an office administrator who’s worked with Avondale for 31 years.

The best part is seeing the overwhelming gratitude in some of the parents' faces, she said.

Wilson thinks the best part is seeing the kids’ smiles, and watching their relief as he removes the pain in their mouths, and he wishes they could do more.

“I think we all look forward to it,” Wilson said. “There’s a lot of memories we’ve created because of this.”

This year, the dental office had 25 appointments, about half as many as last year.

The dental group staff reach out to school counselors, local clinics and put out flyers to try to reach kids most in need of dental care, but clinics are restricted in how they can tell people they need help.

“Honestly, sometimes we get done with this day and wonder if we’re reaching the right people,” Wilson said. “Because a lot of times the people who need it most don’t respond to the flyers and don’t respond to the outreaches.”

Staff will gather in an annual follow-up meeting to figure out why numbers are down this year, and a strategy to reach more people.

“OK, now what do we do next year? How do we reach kids in need?” Wilson said. “We can always do better, but we’re doing some good.”