Kool Smiles takes pride in our local communities and strives to help each of them grow and prosper. Since our founding in 2002, Kool Smiles has invested more than $100 million into the communities we serve with outreach, dental health education, and charitable giving programs. Our annual Halloween candy exchange, Operation Troop Treats, encourages healthy habits at home while supporting American troops serving abroad. Since we started the Operation Troop Treats program in 2012, Kool Smiles communities have donated more than eight tons of candy and sent 800 care packages to U.S. troops serving overseas. Sharing Smiles Day is our national day of free dental care exclusively for children, hosted by Kool Smiles dentists and staff volunteers. During Sharing Smiles Day 2016, our dentist volunteers helped more than 500 children without dental insurance receive much needed dental care at no cost. Kool Smiles dentists partner with global organizations like Flying Doctors of America and Choice Humanitarian to bring much-needed dental care to communities around the globe.
These international service trips are an important part of our mission and dream to give every child a happy, healthy smile – and to continue leading the way in creating dental access not only in communities throughout the U.S., but around the world! Our doctors and other team members also participate in Missions of Mercy as volunteers donating care and dental supplies to help individuals with acute dental needs who would not otherwise have access to care. Education is essential to our mission of improving dental health access and outcomes within underserved communities. Dental Health Lesson Plans Teachers are some of our most valued allies in our fight against childhood tooth decay. As part of our effort to bring dental health education out of the dentist's chair and into the classroom, Kool Smiles, with the generous support of the Benevis Foundation, is proud to provide free dental health lesson plans and toothbrushes for preschool and K-5 classrooms across the country.
Our lesson plans include age-appropriate curricula to facilitate a fun and interactive classroom environment. Download our Dental Lesson Plans here! Interested in partnering with Kool Smiles to advance oral health education efforts in your community? We work hand in hand with social service agencies, schools and daycare centers, government bodies, medical providers, and other groups to provide dental health education in communities where our offices are located. If your agency or organization could benefit from a partnership with Kool Smiles, please fill out our community contact form so we can route your request to a representative who can serve you. Kool Smiles was founded on the belief that every person deserves access to quality dental care, including those who don't have insurance. Although we are proud to accept Medicaid and other insurance plans that most dentists do not, we also recognize that there are specific procedures that the American Dental Association (ADA) or American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommend where no specific reimbursement is available.
In light of this, we believe it is our moral and professional obligation to follow through on these recommended services to prevent future health problems and struggles. In fact, Kool Smiles has provided more than $100 million in uncompensated care to patients in our offices. Through its "Make it Memorable" program, Kool Smiles gives doctors and other team members the opportunity to donate and give back to local schools, charities, and health programs in the communities where they live and work. Each month, our offices identify organizations that are making a difference in the community and support them with Make it Memorable funds. Some of the ways our employees have chosen to give back include organizing canned food and toy drives for families in the community, volunteering at health fairs to give out dental supplies and promote good dental hygiene, sponsoring service dogs at a local children's hospital, bringing dental supplies to children overseas, donating to a GoFundMe campaign for a young patient battling cancer
, and so much more. To date, the Make it Memorable program has infused tens of thousands of dollars into the local communities we serve. Kool Smiles Scholarship Program In 2016, Kool Smiles launched a scholarship program as a way to support talented students who are passionate about making a difference in dental care. The scholarship recognizes students whose winning essay on dental health demonstrates excellence based on clarity of content, originality, creativity and persuasiveness. You’ll find we are totally committed to the dental profession, for both dentists in training and established dentists. With dental excellence and the future of knowledge in technology at our hands, we supply a wide range of cutting edge simulation products to allow trainees to work extremely close to conditions in real-life practice. FOR PATIENT EDUCATION MODELS FOR DENTAL TRAINING PRODUCTS LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH We’d love to keep you informed about our new products and special offers.
Fill in your email below – and you can be assured that this is only used by us.A medical emergency in the dental office may be an unexpected event that can include accidental or willful bodily injury, central nervous system stimulation and depression, respiratory and circulatory disturbances, as well as allergic reactions. Dentists, through their academic, clinical and continuing education, should be familiar with the prevention, diagnosis, and management of common emergencies. In addition, they should provide appropriate training to their staff so that each person knows what to do and can act promptly. Since these skills are not used every day, regular review is necessary: at least annually but preferably more often. Conducting mock emergencies may help office staff to be more confident with their roles when a real emergency occurs. As a result, dentists and their staff should be prepared to recognize, respond and effectively manage a medical emergency. The components of a sound medical emergency plan for the dental office should include:
Some states may require that dentists have emergency drugs and equipment. For example, in 2010 Illinois became the first state to enact a law requiring dental offices that administer deep sedation to not only have an automated external defibrillator (AED) available, but also a written medical emergency plan. This new law does not apply to practices that use local anesthetics for routine dental care. However, many states require dentists, whether they administer general anesthesia or deep sedation, to have an AED available. For more information about the safety requirements in your state, consult with your state dental association and/or your state’s board of dental practice. In the following sections, you will find information on recognizing, responding and effectively managing medical emergencies, as well as preventive preparation. New information and resources will be added to this area as they become available. Contact information for the 53 state and territorial dental licensing boards may be found