The Douglas County Dental Clinic will provide free dental examinations and X-rays to qualifying children as part of Give Kids a Smile Day, scheduled for this Friday.

The clinic has appointments available from 8 a.m. to noon for children and youths, from birth to age 18, who do not have health insurance and also meet income requirements, which are based on percentages of the federal poverty level. A family of four’s household annual income, for example, would be limited to $41,300.

Exams will be provided by staff dentists. Appointments typically last 30 to 40 minutes.

The clinic, 316 Maine, regularly provides reduced-cost dental care for county residents who do not have private health insurance. Participating in Give Kids a Smile Day – a national event organized by the American Dental Association as part of Dental Health Month – is a chance to eliminate all costs for the most basic of care, said Julie Branstrom, the clinic’s executive director.

“For some folks, it comes down to whether they put food down on their table or choose to take their kids to see the dentist,” Branstrom said. “This is one opportunity for us to reach those kids who otherwise might not get in here.”

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the clinic at 312-7770.