UMA Dental Clinic In Bangor Is Offering Free Cleanings For Kids

When I was a kid, going to the dentist was always a chore. Like pulling teeth, as they say. Not literally in my case, but no fun for my mom nonetheless. I was one of those kids that tired to cram six months of brushing into the three hours before my dental appointment. My mom probably took a lot of flack from the dentist.

These days, I'm much more adultlike in the care of my teeth. Of course, it helps to have solid dental insurance through work. So I don't really have to worry much about the how's and when's of my next appointment. But a lot of folks aren't as lucky as I am. they're either underinsured, or have no insurance at all. Especially kids.

For the last 12 years, the University of Maine at Augusta's dental clinic here in Bangor has been offering free cleanings a couple times a year, for kids from anywhere in Maine. And this year is no exception. They'll be offering this amazing service once this month, and again in March.

It will be this Friday, February 19th, and then again on March 12th. Normally, this would be a one day event, but obviously because of COVID precautions, they're spreading the event to two days, so they can treat as many kids as usual. Nancy Foster, the Dental Health Programs Coordinator and associate professor at UMA, said this to News Center Maine...

We wanted to see the same amount of children that we normally see, but because of the PPE (personal protective equipment) that we need to wear, disinfecting, and cleaning, we decided to see the same number of kids but over two days.

Folks who'd like to take advantage of this service for their kids 18 and under can call 207-262-7872 to make an appointment. They expect to treat around 80 kids, and it's not just limited to folks from Bangor. Anyone in Maine is eligible for this free service.

Kudos to the folks at the UMA dental program for this awesome opportunity for Maine kids to keep their pearly whites, pearly.