3M Foundation awards the National Children's Oral Health Foundation a $297K grant to pilot innovative health strategies for children in the Twin Cities region

3M Foundation awards the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation a $297K grant to pilot innovative health strategies for children in the Twin Cities region

CHARLOTTE, NC, July 14, 2008-The National Children’s Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF) is proud to announce receipt of a grant from the 3M Foundation. The grant will be used to engage pediatric and family medical providers, and early childhood educators in the Twin Cities region who will support community efforts to break the cycle of oral disease in the youngest at-risk children for whom dental disease has become a “silent epidemic.” Pediatrician Dr. Amos Deinard, a recognized pioneer in oral health prevention, and a member of the Oral Health Section of the American Public Health Association and the Oral Health Project Advisory Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics, will guide this innovative project.

“Thanks to the 3M Foundation’s generous grant, we will be piloting an important component of the NCOHF Oral Health Zone (OHZ) in the Twin Cities, beginning this fall,” said Deinard. An OHZ brings together a community’s leading stakeholders involved in children’s health issues to respond to the #1 chronic childhood illness: pediatric dental disease. With a strong emphasis on education and prevention, the goal is to reverse the upward trend of the disease. “The goal of the Twin Cities’ program is to integrate primary caries prevention into the menu of well-child care services so that child morbidity and healthcare costs decrease,” stated Deinard.

“The 3M Foundation is pleased to support this important initiative,” said Alex Cirillo, vice president, 3M Foundation and Community Affairs. “The OHZ concept is clearly aligned with our health and human services giving goals of supporting youth development through prevention and intervention efforts, with a new emphasis on early childhood.”

“Successful implementation of this program will provide valuable information regarding how to motivate primary pediatric care clinics and other child-related venues, e.g., Head Start/Early Head Start and WIC, to become involved in preventing childhood dental disease. The program protocols include early referrals to available dental care providers,” said Fern Ingber, NCOHF president and CEO. “We are so grateful to the 3M Foundation for their generous support of this important initiative, which incorporates oral health strategies into well-child care to the benefit of many thousands of at-risk children.”

This program is expected to expand access and participation in preventive oral health services for economically disadvantaged children in the Twin Cities area. Emphasizing education and prevention, the program will increase oral health literacy, increase the venues in which children receive preventive services (e.g. risk assessment, caregiver education, fluoride varnish and referrals), and reverse the upward trend of childhood dental disease. Lessons learned will be incorporated prior to the implementation of similar OHZ initiatives in cities across the nation.

ABOUT 3M

A recognized leader in research and development, 3M produces thousands of innovative products for dozens of diverse markets. 3M’s core strength is applying its more than 40 distinct technology platforms – often in combination – to a wide array of customer needs. With $24 billion in sales, 3M employs 75,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 60 countries. For more information, visit http://www.3M.com

ABOUT THE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S ORAL HEALTH FOUNDATION (NCOHF)

The National Children’s Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF) supports a national Affiliate Network of progressive, not-for-profit community-based children’s dental programs. Since 2006, NCOHF has distributed more than $2.5m in financial grants and products to its Affiliate Network to expand and increase access to comprehensive oral health services for at-risk children.

NCOHF was established with the sole purpose of eliminating America’s #1 chronic childhood illness: pediatric dental disease. Millions of children suffer from pain so severe, it impairs their ability to eat, sleep and learn. NCOHF is dedicated to facilitating the delivery of comprehensive pediatric oral health services, raising awareness of this debilitating disease, and eliminating it from future generations. 

By drawing on vast national resources and distributing them to not-for-profit local community-based dental centers, stand-alone clinics, universities, and mobile programs throughout America, millions of at-risk children will receive quality comprehensive oral health services.  Pediatric dental disease can be controlled and eliminated with treatment, preventive services, and educational programs.

For more information about NCOHF, OHZs and/or how you can help prevent children’s needless pain and suffering related to pediatric dental disease, call (704) 350-1600 or visit http://www.ncohf.org.

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