South Mississippi Smiles focuses on providing high quality dental care to children, regardless of income, in a fun and upbeat environment. But this commitment to the Gulf Coast goes beyond dentistry. South Mississippi Smiles is equally committed to charitable outreach through their Caring4Community campaign, delivering over $21,000 to Coast organizations and local schools to date. With two contests annually, for local schools and for Gulf Coast non-profits, each Caring4Community contest is decided by public vote and awards three winners a share of $5,000. First place winners take home $2,500, second place winners walk away with $1,500, while third place winners win $1,000.
For this year’s Caring4Community: School Edition contest, Martin Bluff Elementary finished in third, while Hancock Middle came second. West Wortham Elementary and Middle School was awarded their first place winnings at their Homecoming Game!
For the Non-Profit round, three deserving Gulf Coast non-profits came together in a celebration this spring that included a local celebrity. Third place winner TrainTastic! hosted the ceremony as all three winners were presented “BIG” checks. Brandon’s Place collected their second place winnings, along with Elijah’s Closet in first place!
Local social media influencer, Your Barefoot Neighbor (Matthew Bounds) was in attendance with a matching donation to Elijah’s Closet after bringing awareness of the contest to his million plus followers, due to a shared passion for helping our coastal neighbors.
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.”
South Mississippi Smiles, with offices in Gulfport and Pascagoula, gives beyond monetary donations. Their mobile dentistry program visits preschools and head starts across the gulf coast, helping families stay up to date with preventative dental care. Hundreds of toothbrush bags, which include toothpaste, floss, and a toothbrush, are donated for schools to restock their hygiene closets. And because South Mississippi Smiles is dentistry just for kids, there’s fun dental education too! Community Relations Manager Ginger Christian brings her shark friend Chomper to read a story about going to the dentist, along with her “big teeth and toothbrush” to teach kids the basics of dental hygiene.
South Mississippi Smiles accepts United Concordia/Tri Care, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Mississippi Medicaid, and most other insurances. South Mississippi Smiles is a sensory-friendly practice, parents are always allowed in treatment rooms, and televisions playing your children’s favorite movies are 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!