SIOUX CENTER, Iowa (KTIV) - A Sioux Center dentist wants to promote better dental health for kids and is offering free dental care to students in Sioux Center.
Sioux Center Dental is preparing for a full day of free care for kids on February 20th, specifically for students identified from Kinsey Elementary School.
Over 70 kids have been identified in the Sioux Center School District after screenings with several dental issues, like active dental infections, or have reported dental pain during the school day.
”Those kids that have the biggest issues or problems are the ones that we are trying to get in and elevate as much pain as we can because we want this to be all about the kids and the help they need so they can eat sleep, and go to school comfortably,” said Dr. Trevor Kuiper, Sioux Center Dental.
The event is a spinoff of the American Dental Association’s National Give Kids a Smile Day.
For Sioux Center families to participate, they must register in advance.
Sioux Center Dental partnered with the local I-Smile Coordinator and the Sioux Center Community School District. This will be the second annual Give Kids a Smile event to be hosted in Northwest Iowa, and Sioux Center Dental hopes to continue this event moving forward.
He wants all parents to know, that chronic diseases are preventable.
Brushing and flossing can eliminate harmful bacteria in children’s mouths.
He said parents should encourage their children to brush and floss, and see their dentist twice a year.
”As the parent, it is your job to step in and kind of help them out and say we are going to eat healthy foods, brush your teeth, we are going to go see the dentist. As early as age 1, when that first tooth comes in, we want kids to start seeing the dentist, it’s the best way to prevent and identify the problems,” Dr. Kuiper said.
Promise Community Health Center is the only dental clinic in the area that accepts Medicaid, and they are currently working through a large backlog of patients due to recent transitions within their dental team. Dr. Kuiper and his team are aiming to help ease the burden for several families in Sioux Center.
In 2024, this dentistry served 30 kids worth over $23,000 in dental treatments, and they want to do it all again.
This will be the second annual Give Kids a Smile event to be hosted in Northwest Iowa, and Sioux Center Dental hopes to continue this event moving forward.
For questions about the event, contact Sioux Center Dental at 712-722-5155.
Another dentist in town hopes to do another free kids dental day in October to help any other families that have students who have been identified with dental issues.