This focus on education includes partnering with Oral Health America to expand school-based prevention programs and to improve the oral health and well-being of uninsured children and families who do not receive routine dental care (Smiles Across America program).

Give Kids a Smile^® (GKAS) offers educational materials, screenings and where possible, free dental care such as cleaning, fluoride treatments, fillings and often more intensive care. This national initiative by the American Dental Association also serves as one of the many local causes supported by Patterson locations across the U.S. For example, the Patterson Dental St. Louis Branch donated EagleSoft software to help increase efficiency at GKAS events, from scheduling to checkout. Patterson employees from the Patterson Technology Center in Effingham, Ill., also volunteer to assist with software-related questions and data entry.