Free mobile dental clinic gets ready to return to the Quad Cities

MOLINE, Ill. (KWQC) - After being idled for more than two years, Bethany for Children & Families is getting ready to restart its free, mobile dental clinics.

The Give Kids a Smile Program provides dental care to underserved, low-income children by stopping at Quad City area schools with local dentists offering free preventative care. Bethany began coordinating the program in 2011 and has served more than 25,000 children.

Now, volunteers from the United Way Day of Caring will assist Bethany by putting together dental health kits and cleaning and sanitizing the 39-foot dental bus, which hasn’t been used since March of 2020.

Bethany is relaunching the program this fall, after discontinuation due to COVID-19. For many students, the mobile clinic is their only experience with dental care and oral hygiene instruction. Bethany hopes to serve approximately 2,500 children this school year.