HAYDEN LAKE — By 10 a.m. Friday, Avondale Dental’s team of dentists and hygienists had already provided nearly $6,000 in free dental care.

With 17 children registered, that total was expected to reach about $10,000 in cleanings, X-rays and other treatments by the end of Give Kids a Smile Day. 

At the national level, Give Kids a Smile Day traditionally falls on the first Friday of February and was launched during Children’s Dental Health Month in 1981.

The day is made possible by hygienists like Ellen Covill, who has donated her time and equipment each year for 23 years. She has seen firsthand how a trip to the dentist can have a lasting impact on a child’s life.  

One child from about a decade ago stands out in Covill’s memory: a young boy who came in with a large crescent-shaped chip in a front tooth and several cavities. 

She recalled that he would hold his mouth in a particular way to cover the chipped tooth when he spoke. 

“All he wanted was to fix his teeth,” she said.  

The Avondale Dental team did just that, and before he left the office with his new smile, he made a point to find Covill.  

“He goes, ‘Look’, and he had this massive smile on his face like we had changed his life,” she said with a smile of her own. “That alone brings me back every year.” 

Dental care is often among the first things to go when families are on a tight budget, said Cammy Turner.  

“Parents sometimes have to ask themselves, ‘Am I going to buy my kids food or dental care?'” Turner said.  

Give Kids a Smile Day can be a turning point for families faced with these tough decisions, said dental assistant Teresa Budvarson. 

“The hope is to get them on track with at-home care and to come back for follow-ups,” Budvarson said.  

About half of the kids they see on Give Kids a Smile Day return for follow-up care, she added. 

Sarah Jacobs, a mother of five, has brought her children every year for the past 10 years.  

“Our family has been on such a tight budget for so long; there’s just no way to get them all in otherwise,” she said. “It’s been a huge blessing.” 

    Dr. Kory Wilson, DDS, performs a check-up on Sofia Jacobs during Friday's Give Kids a Smile Day event at Avondale Dental.