Dr. Carey Bonham to Coordinate “Give Kids a Smile”

Every year, the Pinellas County Dental Association (PCDA) and the Upper Pinellas County Dental Association (UPDCA) participate in the national ADA event called “Give Kids a Smile” (GKAS), which provides education, preventative and restorative care to low-income children who do not have access to care. 

After 3 years of coordinating this event in Pinellas County, Dr. Chris Wujik is passing on the torch to Dr. Carey Bonham of Bonham Dental Arts in Largo.  Dr. Carey Bonham will be in charge of orchestrating volunteers, transportation, and marketing this humanitarian event that is held annually in tandem with National Children’s Dental Health Month in February.

This past year, the three Bonham doctors–Dr. Carey, Dr. Amy, and Dr. Chris–volunteered along with almost 200 other dental professionals who made this year’s GKAS a great success. They had 470 appointments and performed roughly $134,000 of treatment for children in need. 

But making this event a reality is no easy task. From coordinating screenings and getting supplies, to organizing the venues and finding dentists, Dr. Carey has his work cut out for him.  “When Dr. Wujik asked me to do this, I knew it was going to be a lot of work,” Dr. Carey explains, “but knowing we can make a difference in the lives of children within our own community–now that is an irressistable offer.”

The influence of GKAS is far-reaching and partners with other local organizations such as Help a Child, Sallie House, the Salvation Army and CASA. In addition many public schools such as Sanderlin, Azalea, and Sawgrass participated, even to the point of providing bus transportation.

With the help of his wife, Dr. Amy Bonham, next year’s GKAS will surely be another heralded success.  She also shares a love for pediatric denitstry and hopes that this event will raise a county-wide awareness of the importance of children’s dental health.

After just a few years out of dental school, this is a huge opportunity for Dr. Carey to lay some roots down in the community.  “This is just another way of helping Pinellas,” says Dr. Carey, “and while most of these patients will never set foot in our office, we know we’re playing a bigger role in caring for the oral health of the community we’re a part of.”