American Family Field hosts hundreds of Milwaukee-area kids for free dental care

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- American Family Field became a dentist's office for many kids with the Milwaukee Boys and Girls Club Tuesday morning.

Hundreds of children got their teeth cleaned for free and learned about the importance of personal hygiene.

"Through a really unique model -- you see the sausages here, our mascot here, DJ going on, so we're having a lot of fun," said John McCarthy, the executive director at TeamSmile.

A fun way to promote dental care, especially for those in underserved communities across Milwaukee.

"There's so much health that goes through your mouth, one way or another, that it's crucial for children at a young age to start understanding the importance of oral health and taking care of their teeth," added McCarthy.

For many children at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, Tuesday's free event was the first time they ever visited the dentist.

It was all possible thanks to the Brewers Community Foundation and TeamSmile, a nonprofit organization who partnered up with SKYGEN, a health care platform.

"(What) we're finding now is that lack of dental care has implications on overall health, so we really want to set the stage for kids to come in early and feel comfortable," said SKYGEN's Chief Dental Officer Larry Paul.

Minimizing the intimidation level, while providing a safe space to treat minor problems early on.