Children never able to receive dental treatment were welcomed with open arms for care. Mascots, face painting and light-hearted atmosphere aimed to make the 70 young patients feel at ease, according to a story at nj.com

In Deerfield Township N.J., the 13th annual “Give Kids a Smile” event was hosted Friday at the Cumberland County Technical Education Center, where dentists and dental assistants from all over Cumberland County gathered to give free dental care to children who otherwise may never have access to it.

Judy Zirkle, program director for the dental assisting program at CCTEC, told nj.com that  in addition to providing free dental care for children in need, it also gave CCTEC students in the dental assisting program an opportunity to train alongside real professionals in their field.

This was the 13th year CCTEC participated in the national event that began in 2002. The American Dental Association adopted Give Kids a Smile concept and established a national clinic day, where more than a million children are cared for and more than $100 million in dental care is provide yearly.

Children were also able to have their picture taken with the school’s mascot, Techy the Tiger, have their face painted, play games that simultaneously educated children in dental hygiene and all children received a teddy bear donated by the Hug a Bear Foundation.

Lastly, T-shirts and supplies for the event were donated by Benco Dental Supply Co., Pittston, Pennsylvania.