Teen group shows it?s 4Teeth

Teens4Teeth, a local youth organization dedicated to providing free dental care to those who might not otherwise be able to afford it, is preparing to hold its first fundraiser tomorrow, Aug. 19.

The group will be presenting a ?Ducky River Race? at Pepper Branch Park at 1 p.m. Early registration begins at noon. There will be several races with 250 plastic ducks in the river. Prizes for the race are being donated by local businesses and are appropriate for children and adults.

There will also be a ?Build Your Own Sailboat? race. The only stipulation is the sailboat cannot have a motor of any kind. There will be a $5 entry fee for the boat race. In between races there will be a cake and pie auction for which Ryan?s has donated several cakes. There will also be game booths for the children and balloons.

Anyone interested in helping with the fundraiser should contact the organization at 474-2757.

Dental care is important for people of all ages. Although government programs, such as TennCare, provide programs for children, many adults on low or fixed incomes may find themselves in situations where they have to make a choice between paying the rent or going to the dentist. Since rent and food takes first priority, many people don?t get the dental treatment they need and end up losing teeth.

That?s where Teens4Teeth comes in. The goal of the organization, made up entirely of local teens, is to help these people get adequate dental care.

The group is using some innovative methods to achieve this goal. They are enlisting local dentists to donate their time and services if the teens pay for the materials. The group currently has Dr. Kent Bewick and Dr. Jung on board supporting their efforts, but they would like to enlist other area dentists so that no dentist has to donate their time more than once a year. The group is also looking for an attorney to help apply for non-profit status, and an accountant to look over their finances monthly.

Anyone interested in donating their services should contact Teens4Teeth at 474-2757. Those needing dental work, or those wishing to designate someone in need of these services, can also call this number to have an application mailed to them.

Recipients for the dental work will be chosen by the Teens4Teeth members from applications or letters received explaining why a particular person needs and deserves the help. These individuals will receive the dental work at no cost to them.

Though Teens4Teeth is community service oriented, it is also a social organization hoping to attract more teens to join in their efforts. They have meetings every other Tuesday at 4 p.m. which begins with a business session. But in addition to the business meeting they have refreshments, a door prize and a social activity.

This summer they have had picnics at the park, swimming at Fall Creek Falls, an extreme water balloon fight, a ?make your own sundae? party and a night of camping at Rock Island. All meetings are supervised by adults. All money donated to the organization, or collected by fundraising, goes toward helping with dental work.