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Nonprofit ambassador explains origins of dental event that took over PNC Park

PITTSBURGH — A nonprofit transformed PNC Park into a free dental clinic for kids on Tuesday.

TeamSmile ambassador Greg Carroll said today’s clinic could be just the beginning.

“We have such a great group of volunteers that believe in the notion of holding these kids’ hands and helping their hearts. So that ultimately, they can smile from their belly to their eyes,” Carroll said.

That’s what TeamSmile is all about.

It’s the non-profit that took over PNC Park, just ahead of the 2026 season, to clean kids’ teeth.

It was all for free!

“Our mission is to provide life-changing experiences to kids in need through the power of sports,” Carroll said.

Over the last 20 years, TeamSmile has provided over $24 million in free dental care, impacting more than 65,000 kids, by partnering with professional sports teams all across the country.

They do it because they know that not getting routine dental care can lead to devastating consequences.

“There was a young man, Damonte, who passed away from direct results of an abscessed tooth that was untreated,” Carroll said. “Unfortunately, this young man died. As a result, a wonderful doctor in Kansas City said, ‘Let’s start something and travel around dental shops to be able to help kids,’ so TeamSmile began.”

TeamSmile also connects families with local dentists for follow-up care.

Turning a one-day event into a healthy life.

“My favorite part is to look on the faces of these kids and see smiles,” Carroll said.

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