"It's heartbreaking to see a child's smile destroyed by severe tooth decay," said Future Smiles Project Manager, Terri Chandler, RDH. "Imagine not being able to eat, sleep and pay attention in school because you have a mouthful of toothaches," Chandler said. "Some children have reached the point where alternatives are limited and a dentist must pull the teeth that can't be saved. It's tragic. Our state needs to do more to help children get the dental care they need."

Chandler and her team provide services twice a week but the demand surpasses their funding.  "If we could, we would have Future Smiles at our clinics every day of the week," said Communities In Schools of Nevada State Director, Louise Helton.  "The need in our community for low cost dental services continues to grow at an alarming pace and this program only touches a few children a week.  National Children's Dental Health Month is a great vehicle to raise awareness of the issues that children face and we hope that Southern Nevada embraces our efforts to serve the students in our community," she added.

SOURCE Communities In Schools of Nevada