Bringing 1,000 Smiles—and Counting—to Westchester Kids
Touro Dental School’s Give Kids A Smile Program Teaches School Children About Healthy Oral Hygiene
This year, Touro College of Dental Medicine set a new bar for community outreach. Its 8th annual Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) program reached more than 1,000 children with free dental screenings and oral health education—making it the college’s largest GKAS initiative since the program began in 2018.
The 2025 campaign partnered with Westchester County locations and launched February 5 at Winfield L. Morse School in Sleepy Hollow, where dental students from all four class years joined faculty and staff to provide screenings, engaging lessons, and fun dental-themed activities to 200 children. This event was followed by visits to the Washington Irving School in Tarrytown and St. Margaret of Cortona-St. Gabriel School in Riverdale.
“For our students and faculty, GKAS is more than a day of service,” said Dean Ronnie Myers, D.D.S. “It’s an opportunity to connect with children in a setting that’s both familiar and welcoming—and to make a real, lasting difference in their health.”
Morse School principal Torrance Walley said that it was the first time that most of the children had met dentists and dental students outside of the dentist’s office. “The goal of this event was to let the kids know that taking care of your teeth is important and can be fun and friendly,” said Walley. “Often kids are scared of dentists, but this is the first time they’re seeing dentists in costume and having fun with them while teaching them about taking care of their teeth.”
Principal Sharon O’Grady of the Washington Irving School said she was “blown away by the event.”
“There was not one sad face in that gym,” she said. “Kids actively flossed and played games that promoted healthy hygiene. Many of our students got oral screenings. We are thrilled that we had these amazing Touro students give our students this opportunity today.”
Fourth-year TCDM student Geraldine Pullas, who previously worked as a hygienist, said the program helped her shift from a student mentality to that of a provider.
“Being part of this program gave me purpose,” she said. “I saw how I could help close the gap for kids who don’t always have access to dental care—and it reminded me why I chose this path.”
GKAS is part of a national initiative created by the American Dental Association to serve underserved children across the U.S. Since 2018, Touro has made the program its own—building it into the fabric of the school’s mission and giving students a meaningful way to serve.
And this year, they’re not just reaching more kids. They’re building more smiles, more trust, and more community—one classroom at a time.
