Smile Big Richland is Richland Public Health’s Pediatric Dental Health Program. Through funding from the Richland County Foundation and donations from national and local organizations, our mission is to educate and prevent the prevalence of tooth decay in youth between the ages of 0 to 18.

Did you know that dental disease is the most common chronic illness for children in the U.S.? About 20% of children between the ages of 5 to 11 have at least one untreated decayed tooth. While dental disease is preventable, dental care is the most common unmet health need of children.

Here in Richland County, tooth decay is one of the most common untreated diseases and is the most common chronic disease seen in our community’s children. This is due to a lack of access to dental care as well as limited to no access of fluoridated water in certain Richland County communities.

When children do not see a dental healthcare provider or drink fluoridated water regularly, their chances of experiencing tooth decay and dental health issues increases significantly and can have negative effects on their overall oral health throughout their entire lifespan.

While treating dental health issues (such as cavities) is important, preventing dental health issues for our youth as a community is one of the best things we can do for them to ensure they grow up to have big, healthy, and strong smiles! That’s why we are offering FREE dental health back packs filled with toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, fluoride treatment (for ages 6+) and age appropriate educational materials and goodies for Richland County youth between the ages of 0-18.

Contact us to help distribute our dental health backpacks.

If your organization would like to help Richland Public Health distribute dental health backpacks at your location please contact Kashema Ginn, Health Educator at Richland Public Health at 419-774-4723 or kginn@richlandhealth.org

Language