Tracy children can get a free dental checkup Saturday through Give Kids a Smile, a San Joaquin Dental Society program.

Dentists will check the children’s teeth, educate families about dental hygiene and give them a referral card to local dental offices. Upon referral, children who need further care will receive free cleanings through University of the Pacific dental hygiene program.

Lynn Parker, a Stockton dentist and co-chairwoman of San Joaquin Dental Society, suggests children should begin to visit the dentist when they get their first tooth.

“Baby teeth can get cavities,” she said. “We want to make sure they know how to take care of them.”

Almost 500 children have been screened through Give Kids a Smile checkups in Stockton. The program was expanded into Tracy, Manteca and Lodi this year in response to a new law that requires, for the first time, oral health assessments for all children entering public schools.

At a glance

WHAT: Give Kids a Smile

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Millennium Dental, 436 West Beverly Place

INFO: 835-6487