Members of the Sacramento State Pre-Dental Association provided backpacks filled with school and dental supplies to about 300 underprivileged children today for the annual Smiles for Kids event.

The Sacramento District Dental Society coordinated the event and recruited 27 private dentist offices to perform dental work from teeth cleanings to orthodontics on hundreds of children at no cost, said Cathy Levering, executive director of the Sacramento District Dental Society.

The organization serves dentists and residents throughout the Amador, Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer and Yolo counties. Families participating in the event live in impoverished areas and cannot afford dental costs.

The Pre-Dental Association distributed backpacks to each office prior to the event and hand-carried the remainder into the open hands of children ages three to 18 at each location.

A couple members of the Pre-Dental Association also assisted in performing dental work at certain locations.

Project Backpack was created in 2007 by the Pre-Dental Association to help children involved in the event achieve a healthy smile and stay educated, Jesse Manton, president of the Pre-Dental Association, said.

Ashley Downton can be reached at [email protected]