 Northwest Technical College in Bemidji helped more than 70 kids in our community today by participating in a national campaign. Reporter Cheryl Moore tells us why a seat in the dentist's chair, making parents and kids smile. Yearly dentist checkups can be a pain for parents, not only in their kids' mouth, but also in the wallet. It's really nice to be able to take kids to a free event to get them used to going to the dentist every year, getting their teeth checked, because sometimes the first check doesn't go that well and they don't want to sit very nice. The advocate of smile is a national event put on by the American Dental Association. Northwest Technical College has participated for 15 years total. They took a break in 2017, but came back this year to offer even more services to the public. I got to get my teeth scrubbed and I got to get it brushed. Cleaning, exams, x-rays, our dentists are determining if they need sealants, they're getting fluoride treatments and we are for the first time this year doing operative so they can have restorations done. Houston hygienists from Park Rapids, Boston, Blackduck and of course Bemidji helped out today. Many of them were NTC alum. They were assisted by students in the NTC Dental Program. Without the help of our community volunteers, we would not be able to do this service. So they're taking time out of their work schedules, time out of their day or maybe their day off and they're coming and volunteering their times. Now sitting in the big blue chair and staring at the ceiling can be a bit nerve-wrecking for these kids, but the dentists here make it way easier. Plus you walk away with a few goodies and some home care tips. It was fun because I could hear the doctors talking about teeth and then the dentists or the assistant kind of kept chatting. Well I filled out the paperwork, she actually entertained the kids and showed them how to brush their teeth on the big model over there so that was really nice. The area that's in northern Minnesota is a very demanding population because of access to care. We talk about real populations that reach into the excess of 60 to 100 miles. And if you're curious, more than a few kids walked away with brighter smiles. We just feel very good about doing this and helping anyone in need out. I'm not the big brusher, but now I just kind of want a brush. Porting of Imidji, Shaw Moor, Lakeland News. NTC estimates they provided more than $4,000 worth of free dental care today. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.