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Dentist’s goal? Smiling kids at free clinics

2 free clinics for Butler County youths are part of National Children’s Dental Health Month.

Dr. Fred Hogan is helping to host “Give Kids a Smile Day” this month. The event is meant to provide care to children whose families are without insurance or who are on Medicaid.

Staff photo by Samantha Grier Dr. Fred Hogan is helping to host “Give Kids a Smile Day” this month. The event is meant to provide care to children whose families are without insurance or who are on Medicaid.

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By Tiffany Y. Latta, Staff Writer 11:37 PM Wednesday, February 3, 2010

MIDDLETOWN — The Middletown Community Dental Center will host “Give Kids A Smile Day,” a nationwide program sponsored by the American Dental Association to provide free dental care to underserved children.

Two clinics for Butler County children will be offered this month. The first is Friday, Feb. 5, at the Middletown Community Dental Center, and the second is Friday, Feb. 19, at Fairfield Middle School.

“We want to reach out to kids that don’t have access to dental care and identify any major health care problems,” said Lindenwald dentist Dr. Fred Hogan, who said the event takes place in February as part of National Children’s Dental Health Month.

Last year, the clinic served about 50 students at the Middletown clinic and about 88 at the Fairfield clinic.

Middletown Community Health Consortium officials and Hogan said they hope to serve between 75 and 100 Butler County children this year.

Hogan urged uninsured and underinsured parents to send their children to the clinic, saying that dental health should not be ignored. As evidence, Hogan said a 12-year-old Maryland boy died in 2007 after a tooth infection spread to his brain.

A dental association that reviewed the case concluded that many children in that area didn’t have access to dental care because of a shortage of dentists and because many private dentists don’t accept Medicaid, according to reports.

Hogan said the same issue is seen in Butler County where there are a limited number of dentists who accept Medicaid like he does.

“If you don’t have insurance or you lose your job, it can be hard to be seen on a regular basis,” Hogan said.

Give Kids A Smile Day

MIDDLETOWN: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, Middletown Community Dental Center, 930 Ninth Ave.

FAIRFIELD: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19, Fairfield Middle School, 1111 Nilles Road

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