Bridging Brighter Smiles brightens dental health in Algoma, Kewaunee and Luxemburg-Casco Schools

This past school year, children across the Algoma, Kewaunee and Luxemburg-Casco school districts benefited from an onsite dental initiative that aims to enhance student health and wellness. Bridging Brighter Smiles, a Wisconsin-based non-profit, brings vital preventive dental services right into our schools. This program ensures students receive dental care while limiting missed class time or transportation hurdles.

Founded in 2012, Bridging Brighter Smiles deploys mobile dental hygiene teams that include a registered dental hygienist and assistant to schools, Head Start programs and public health centers across the state. To date, the organization has served 18,061 children across 141 school districts across the state of Wisconsin.
Bridging Brighter Smiles provides the follow services to children in need: Oral screenings and cleanings (twice annually), fluoride varnish to guard against cavities, dental sealants for molar protection, sealant checks and maintenance, silver diamine fluoride placement to halt early decay, oral hygiene education and hygiene instruction and referral assistance to local clinics when further care is needed.
There was a significant local impact Bridging Brighter Smiles had in Kewaunee County. In 2024-25 school year, 318 students were seen across the Algoma, Kewaunee and Luxemburg-Casco school districts. This included 467 screenings and cleanings, 765 fluoride applications, 113 silver diamine fluoride (SDF) treatments and 250 sealants applied. Collectively, the three school districts received $2,136 in charitable services by Bridging Brighter Smiles.

Having Bridging Brighter Smiles in schools provides benefits to our children and families. It allows the convenience and comfort of children to receive dental care in a familiar setting while also making sure families do not have to juggle transportation or miss work.

Bridging Brighter Smiles collaborates with school administrators and public health departments to coordinate visit schedules. Parents must submit consent forms, which are typically distributed through school communications. Families interest in learning more or wishing to enroll can contact their child’s school for enrollment forms.

Oral health is critical to student learning, daily attendance and self-confidence in our children. Without this program, a significant number of children across Kewaunee County would go unserved with dental care.

The vision for Bridging Brighter Smiles remains focused on creating a community where every child is given the opportunity to receive preventative oral care.