Starting this week, more than 100 dental practices and clinics in New Jersey will offer free services to "underserved" children as part of the American Dental Association's Give Kids a Smile program.

Every year during Dental Health Month, an estimated 6,500 local dentists and 30,000 of their teammates offer children access to dental care they don’t normally get, the ADA's state chapter explains on its website. Normally a one-day event, Give Kids a Smile is being expanded to a full month this year, with the national kickoff set for Feb. 3, the group said.

Nationwide, more than 5 million children have received free oral health services since the volunteer program began in 2003. “It’s been quite a lot of folks over the history of the program," said James Schulz, director of governmental and public affairs for the New Jersey Dental Association.

The program is a way to help children who otherwise wouldn't see a dentist and is open to any kids who “don’t have a dental home," he said.

According to the NJDA website, children attending the events will receive a dental checkup, followed by a cleaning, fluoride treatment or sealants. "If your child has decayed teeth, the dentist may provide fillings or perform extractions and other treatment as needed. Not all services are provided at each location."

Here's a list of participating dental practices and clinics in North Jersey. Contact the individual offices to schedule an appointment. Services offered will vary by site.

Bergen County

Feb. 2

• Sunny Smiles, Mahwah (201) 529-9000

Feb. 3

• Center for Dentistry, Hackensack (551) 996-2111

• Edgewater Pediatric Dentistry, Edgewater (201) 313-5437

• Englewood Dental (201) 871-3555

• Paterson Public Schools Dental, Westwood (201) 666-0312

Feb. 6-8, 13-15

• Sunny Smiles, Mahwah (201) 529-9000

Feb. 10

• Bergen Community College, Paramus (201) 447-7180

Morris County

Feb. 1

• Pediatric Dental Associates of Randolph (973) 989-7970

Feb. 3

• John A. Carollo & Sufian Mahmoud, Florham Park (973) 377-5117

• Michael J. Armento, Randolph (973) 361-6500

Passaic County

Feb. 3

• Hello Dental, Haledon (973) 500-4144

• Paterson Dental Clinic (973) 684-5854

• Smile Center Dental PC, Passaic (973) 574-1000

• Smile Center Dental PC, Paterson (973) 742-4200

• St. Joseph’s Family Health Center, Paterson (973) 754-4250

• The Smile Spa of North Jersey, Hawthorne (973) 427-1443

Feb. 6

• Fortis Institute, Wayne (973) 837-1818, ext. 2620

Essex County

Feb. 3

• Belleville Dental Center, (973) 751-6600

• Hackensack Meridian Health, Montclair (973) 429-6887

• Itsy Bitsy Dental, Bloomfield (862) 333-4910

• KinderSmile Foundation, Bloomfield (973) 744-7003

• Newark Community Health Centers, in East Orange, Irvington and Newark (973) 483-1300

• Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark (973) 972-4621

• Boys & Girls Club, Newark (973) 242-1200

Feb. 17

• Boys & Girls Club, Newark (973) 242-1200

Feb. 24

• Hackensack Meridian Health, Montclair (973) 429-6887

Gene Myers covers disability and mental health for NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY Network. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: myers@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Give Kids a Smile 2023 NJ clinics: Where to find free programs