COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- On Saturday, September 28, 2019, Hines Little Smiles will once again take action to improve the oral health of uninsured or underinsured children from the Columbus, Ohio, area. The pediatric dental practice's third Biannual Community Day will open at 9:00 AM and run until 3:00 PM. Patients will be accepted in order of arrival, must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, and will receive basic dental services free of charge.
Hines Little Smiles hosted their first Biannual Community Day in 2018, in response to rising dental care costs and an insurance system that was unable to provide support and care for children from low-income families. The event was met by enormous response from parents of children in the local community, and has since become a twice-yearly affair.
"We realized in 2018 that Medicaid wasn't providing sufficient coverage for patients under our care," says Dr. Mitzi Hines, who opened the practice in 2009. "We made the difficult decision to stop accepting Medicaid at our practice, because we felt we could provide more and better care for our patients independently through a biannual community day. It was the right choice. Our time and energy that were previously wrapped up in fighting a broken system on these children's behalf, are now poured into a completely free, walk-in community event we hold twice a year."
Dr. Hines says the turnout at each event has been incredible. "Parents know we don't accept Medicaid anymore, but they also know we are looking out for their children. We have seen our former patients return to us for care, and are able to continue safeguarding their oral health outside of the restrictive insurance system. Moms and Dads don't have to worry if their kids' Medicaid cards are up to date – they just have to bring them to our events to get their normal twice-yearly exams and cleanings. We've also seen a lot of new faces, which just drives home how important this kind of event is to our community."
The free dental services provided during the event include standard cleanings, fillings, extractions, and more. (Treatments requiring general anesthesia will not be provided.) Children will be seen on a first come, first serve basis, and all patients up to age 18 will be accepted regardless of their ability to pay.
"At Hines Little Smiles, the focus is always on the children of our community," says Dr. Hines. "During our last event, we saw 75 children and dispensed nearly $40,000 worth of quality dental services. We are excited to be holding our third biannual no-charge day, and plan to continue this twice a year for the foreseeable future – it's the perfect way to reach the kids who need us most."
To learn more about the Hines Little Smiles Biannual Community Day, parents and guardians can call the practice at 614-475-KIDZ (5439).
SOURCE Hines Little Smiles
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