Children's Dental Day

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2024 Children's Dental Days

Lincoln - Friday, April 19
Sidney & Gordon - Friday, May 31 & Saturday, June 1


About the 2023 Lincoln Children's Dental Day

  • Held on April 14
  • 146 children treated
  • Communities represented: Columbus, Crete, Grand Island, Hastings, Lexington and York
  • 1,203 procedures performed, $127,247 value
  • 400 volunteers
A special thank you to the following people who helped make this event possible:
  • UNMC College of Dentistry alumni who helped in the clinic. 
  • UNMC College of Nursing students and faculty who performed wellness checks. 
  • Central Community College-Hastings Dental Hygiene Program students and faculty who helped provide cleanings, fluoride treatments and more. 
  • The organizers in the communities who helped screen the students and more: Melinda Velecela - Columbus, Chelsea Muckey - Crete, Bethany Philippi and Hannah Randell - Grand Island, Katie Vaughn - Hastings, Kristi Omeara - Lexington, Ashley Henderson and Ashley Westring - York.
  • Ameritas for their ongoing support of Children's Dental Day events.

About the 2023 Western Children's Dental Days

  • Held in Gordon and Sidney on June 9-10
  • 80 children treated
  • Communities represented: Alliance, Chadron, Gordon, Hay Springs, Kilgore, Merriman, Rushville and Sidney
  • 442 procedures performed, $42,380 value
  • 70 volunteers

Overall Program Impact

Children's Dental Day is a College of Dentistry outreach program. Students, staff and faculty volunteer their time to provide free dental care to underserved children in Nebraska who typically have little or no access to dental care.

Since 2001, over 6,000 children have been treated and over $3 million in free dental services have been provided.

Children are identified by district health departments working in conjunction with school nurses and other caregivers. These volunteers work with local dentists to provide screening examinations where x-rays are taken and a preliminary diagnosis and treatment plan is developed.

About Lincoln Children's Dental Day: About 200 children are scheduled for procedures including cleanings, restorations, extractions, pulpotomies, stainless steel crowns and root canal therapy. The children also take part in educational activities designed to increase their awareness of the importance of taking care of their teeth.

About Western Children's Dental Days: Typically held in June, the college transports students, faculty, staff and portable equipment to sites in Gordon, Sidney and Alliance. The Panhandle District Health Department is a major contributor to Western Children's Dental Days.