June 22, 2006
News media calls to David Hass at (630) 682-7979, ext. 7374.

DuPage County Health Department hosts Christina’s Smile and provides $50,000 in free dental service

The DuPage County Health Department will be hosting Christina’s Smile Children’s Dental Clinic at its 111 N. County Farm Road Central Office in Wheaton from July 5 to July 7. This is the 11th year for Christina’s Smile to visit the health department.

Christina’s Smile provides free dental care to 120 needy DuPage County children during its visit. Each year the free dental services exceed $50,000 in value.

The DuPage County Health Department is the only health department in Illinois to host Christina’s Smile.

The mobile dental clinic will be parked in front of the health department and will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The children receiving services are selected and organized by the health department. Children are seen by appointment only. The children receiving treatment have no access to dental care and must qualify financially.

Christina’s Smile operates in cooperation with Professional Golf Association tournaments. In DuPage County the clinic is held in conjunction with the Cialis Western Open in Lemont.

Dentists and assistants volunteer their time and talent to deliver quality, free dental care, which may include cleanings, sealants, fillings, crowns, root canal treatments and extractions to children between the ages of six and 15.

Christina’s Smile will offer more than 20 clinics nationwide during 2006, treat more than 2,400 children and provide approximately $1 million in free care. Since its inception in 1990, the mobile clinic has treated more than 32,000 children and provided $11 million in services.

Dr. Richard Garza, an Austin, TX dentist, conceived the clinic in 1989. The clinic comes in a 48-foot trailer provided by Roadway Express, an Ohio-based trucking company. The trailer houses three fully equipped, state-of-the-art treatment stations, along with X-ray and sterilization equipment.

“We promote health, prevent illness, and provide quality service”