By Ginger Christian
South Mississippi Smiles focuses on providing high-quality dental care to children, regardless of income, in a fun and upbeat environment. However, this commitment to families of the Gulf Coast goes beyond their offices. South Mississippi Smiles is equally committed to local charitable outreach through their Caring4Community campaign, delivering $11,000 to Coast organizations and schools to date.
The 2023 Caring4Community winners, decided on by a public vote, included Lynn Meadows Discovery Center in Gulfport and Central Elementary School in Pascagoula, for a combined total of $6,000.
Dr. Cameron Larson, owner and managing partner of South Mississippi Smiles, appreciates his role in a dental team that gives back.
“We love participating in Caring4Community because it allows us to give back to our community, in ways other than dentistry. We love taking care of kids’ oral health needs, but this allows us to help in other areas. We have been blessed by our communities, and this is our way of giving back.”
Dr. Larson continues, “It was incredible to see the joy on the faces of the students and faculty at our last presentation for the winner. It makes your heart swell to see the excitement and gratitude from them. It is something we look forward to every time we get to deliver the winning prize.”
South Mississippi Smiles, open since 2013 with offices in Gulfport and Pascagoula, gives beyond monetary donations. Their mobile dentistry program visits preschools, head starts and childcare centers across the gulf coast, providing children with their biannual screenings. This saves children from absences and parents from missing a day of work while amounting to thousands of dollars in pro-bono dental services given each year.
Caring4Community also involves fun dental education through puppet shows and story times. After all, South Mississippi Smiles is dentistry just for kids! Community Relations Specialist Ginger Christian will bring her shark friend, Chomper, a story to read and her set of “big teeth” to teach kids the basics of dental hygiene.
South Mississippi Smiles accepts United Concordia/Tri Care, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Mississippi Medicaid, and several other insurances. Parents are always allowed in treatment rooms, and there are televisions in every room.
For more information about Caring4Community, or to collaborate with South Mississippi Smiles, email GingerChristian@KidsDentalBrands.com.
To make an appointment for your child with South Mississippi Smiles, visit SMSmiles.com!