Kids get free dental screenings at Marquette University

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Hundreds of kids left the Marquette University Dental School beaming from ear to ear.  The little ones took part in the "Give Kids A Smile" day.

It is a time that can often be nerve wracking.  A kid sits in an exam chair, the lights shine on their faces and the dentist grabs the dental tools.

"This was his first dental experience and I wanted it to be a good one," mom Kathy Kingcaid said.

She's brought her 8-year-old son Cliffton for his first dental exam.

"I got my teeth brushed and I got my teeth polished," Cliftton Kingcaid said.

He's one of 600 kids getting a free exam.  Marquette University Dental School and the Wisconsin Dental Assocation came together to make it happen.

More than 200 volunteers lend a hand.  Area dentists, faculty and students help out.

"To be able to give back today and have that community service aspect is really important to me," dental student Zazell Staheli said.

One by one, kids' teeth are looked over, brushed and polished. 

For Kingcaid, this first-time trip to the dentist is a good one.

"He has good dental hygene and luckily today, no cavities, so it`s a great day!" Kathy Kingcaid said. "That just proves to him doing all the good work, that just prevents him from drilling later on."

"Give Kids A Smile" events help more than 9,000 kids across the state.