They hope never to use them.

"We've had tooth printing, DNA analysis, photo IDs, spinal cord checks and faces painted," said Cedar Hills resident Stephanie Thomas, noting that her children would be fingerprinted next.

Stephanie, her husband Kevin Thomas and their five children -- a set of triplets and a set of twins -- were among several hundred parents and children at the second-annual Kids Day event in Cedar Hills on Saturday.

Parents from across northern Utah County brought their children to this free fair on Saturday--just in case.

"I'm thankful to have this stuff in case something happens," Thomas said. "I had a girlfriend years ago whose little brother was kidnapped."

She paused, looking at a stack of paper wafers her children had in their mouths to collect saliva samples for DNA identification and to give search dogs the child's scent.

"Hopefully we'll never have to use this for scent dog tracking," she said.

"We are working to make sure that children in our neighborhoods are protected and safe," said Richard Anderson, a dentist at the Lexington Heights dental clinic in Cedar Hills that sponsored the fair along with the chiropractic clinic upstairs." Every child we can get in here is one more child that is safe."

Tooth printing is a 5-minute process in which plastic is used to take the imprint of a child's teeth. The prints can be used to identify a body that has been burned or decayed, he said, noting children are not told the reasons the prints are taken.

Children on Saturday were also given a copy of their fingerprints and photo ID cards listing important personal information and distinguishing marks, said chiropractic physician Bill Lawler.

"Hopefully this is never used, but if a child is lost or abducted this would help," he said. "The idea is that parents who have ID cards will feel more prepared."

Helping local children was not the only focus of the fair.

For the second year, organizers featured the Cedar Hills-based humanitarian organization Mothers Without Borders. Volunteers from the charity talked about an effort to build a children's village in Lusaka, Zambia.

"A children's village will provide children with shelter, a place for school and food and also loving adults to take care of them," volunteer Mary Banford said. "Some of the kids are orphans and some have run away because of their home-life situation. They need a safe place to stay."

Though the fair ended Saturday, parents who did not attend may still bring their children to Lexington Heights Dental for free toothprinting by appointment, Anderson said. For information, call 756-2006.

For information about Mothers Without Borders or to donate or volunteer, visit www.MothersWithoutBorders.org or call 796-5535.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page B1.