About Give Kids A Smile

The Give Kids A Smile® (GKAS) program, launched nationally in 2003, provides underserved children with free oral health care. Each year approximately 6,500 dentists and 30,000 dental team members volunteer at local GKAS events to provide free oral health education, screenings, preventive and restorative treatment to over 300,000 children.

GKAS Info Flyer (PDF)
GKAS Logo and a child patient being treated

Give Kids A Smile

Give Kids A Smile Day

GKAS events kick off annually on the first Friday in February, which is Give Kids A Smile Day. GKAS events are held throughout the year.


Give Kids A Smile Vision
To ensure access to quality oral healthcare for all children.
History of Give Kids A Smile

In 2002, Drs. Jeff Dalin and B. Ray Storm held the first Give Kids A Smile® (GKAS) event in a run-down, soon-to-be-demolished dental clinic in St. Louis, where 15 patient chairs were scraped together to deliver free dental care to nearly 400 children.

The ADA recognized that this grassroots effort had great potential to raise awareness nationally about the importance of oral health to overall health, and about the staggering need that exists among millions of children who go without care. So, in 2003, Give Kids A Smile evolved into a nationwide program with the goal of providing free oral health care to underserved children.

GKAS National Advisory Committee Members

  • Betsey Baumann-Smeenge, DDS, MS
  • Steven J. Brady, MBA
  • Ann Bruck
  • Jeffrey B. Dalin, DDS
  • Jennifer Kim Field
  • Dawna Michelle Fields
  • H. Fred Howard, DMD
  • Karin Irani, DDS, JD
  • David M. Krol, MD, MPH, FAAP
  • James Mancini, DMD
  • Angela Martinez
  • Amy Moorman, IOM
  • Megha Sata, DDS

GKAS Frequently Asked Questions

I am interested in hosting a Give Kids A Smile event. How do I get started?

Start by reviewing the resources in the Give Kids A Smile Program Planning Toolbox. You can register your program on our GKAS database and request free product for your event. Please refer to the next question (below) on important dates regarding GKAS product donation.

What are important dates to keep in mind for requesting and receiving Give Kids A Smile product kits for an event?

Each year, the product donation request window opens on October 1 and ends on November 15. You may still register your GKAS event on the database after this deadline, however free product is not guaranteed for late registrants.

Following the deadline, kit requests are reviewed and allocated to GKAS events and a Product Donation Recipient List is posted on the GKAS homepage on December 10, which lists the quantity your event was allocated and further details of the kits. Product kits are assembled and shipped to GKAS organizers by our corporate sponsors, Colgate & Henry Schein, and are expected to be received by the GKAS event coordinators by January 20.

If you have any questions about hosting a GKAS event, you can email us at gkas@ada.org.

Are you interested in bringing your child to a Give Kids A Smile event? Or are you a dental professional interested in volunteering at one? Find a GKAS Event near you:

For a listing of GKAS events by state, please visit our State Summary Reports page found on the homepage. Click “View Reports”, select your state, then click “Report table” to find a list of public GKAS events. Find one near you and contact the coordinator to understand if they can accommodate your child in their event or if the event is open to dental volunteers.

You can also learn more about free or low-cost resources for your children’s dental care.

May I use the Give Kids A Smile logo?

The Give Kids A Smile logo is a registered service mark of the American Dental Association and as such is only available for use in support of registered Give Kids A Smile programs.

Give Kids A Smile program coordinators: If your program is already registered, please log in. Once signed in, the "logo" option will appear in the top navigation.

If your program is not registered, please log in to sign up your program and gain access to the logo files.

If you are not signing up a GKAS program and would like to request the logo for some other use, please contact the GKAS team directly with your request at gkas@ada.org (please provide information regarding how you would like to use the logo).

What’s included in the Give Kids A Smile product kit?

The contents of each Give Kids A Smile product kit is determined by your event type. Each kit serves up to 50 kids. Below are the contents of the product kits:

Education Event Kit:

  • Colgate Children’s Toothbrush
  • Colgate Children’s Toothpastes
  • GKAS Oral Health Education Cards
  • GKAS Plastic Goody Bags
  • GKAS Banner

Screening Event Kit:

  • Colgate Children’s Toothbrushes
  • Colgate Children’s Toothpastes
  • GKAS Oral Health Education Cards
  • GKAS Plastic Goody Bags
  • GKAS Banner
  • Gloves
  • Earloop Masks
  • Fluoride Varnish
  • Gauze Sponges

Preventive/Restorative Event Kit:

  • Colgate Children’s Toothbrushes
  • Colgate Children’s Toothpastes
  • GKAS Oral Health Education Cards
  • GKAS Plastic Goody Bags
  • GKAS Banner
  • 3M Introductory Sealant Kits
  • Gloves
  • Earloop Masks
  • Fluoride Varnish
  • Prophy Angles
  • Prophy Paste
  • Plastic Cups
  • Gauze Sponges
How do I identify children qualified to receive care during my Give Kids A Smile event?

There are a number of organizations and groups that can help you identify children in need of dental services. View more about these organizations and groups.

I’m located outside of the U.S. Can I participate in GKAS and receive product kits?

You may participate; however, product kits can only be shipped within the U.S.

Who do I contact with additional questions?

Please direct any questions you may still have to gkas@ada.org or call 1.844.490.GKAS.