Give Kids a Smile Day is one time of year when visiting the dentist becomes a party – complete with costumes, games and oral health giveaways, like flavored floss. The nationwide event, sponsored by the American Dental Association since 2002, encourages dentists throughout the country to provide screenings and oral health education to underserved children. At Rutgers School of Dental Medicine in Newark, which is the State’s largest oral health care provider for adults and children, dental students dress like tooth fairies and screen hundreds of Essex County school children. Despite the carnival-like atmosphere, their mission is serious. Dental decay is the most prevalent disease among children – five times as common as asthma. More here, including a video.