WALMART FOUNDATION AND ORAL HEALTH AMERICA AWARD GRANTS TO KIDS SMILES TO SUPPORT CHILDREN’S DENTAL CARE

WALMART FOUNDATION AND ORAL HEALTH AMERICA AWARD GRANTS

TO KIDS SMILES TO SUPPORT CHILDREN’S DENTAL CARE

DUX Dental Donates $1 for Each Teal-Colored Product Sold in 2013

January 8, 2014 – Washington, DC – Kids Smiles, Inc., a nonprofit children’s dental care organization, announces grants totaling $55,000 from The Walmart Foundation and Oral Health America to support its mission of providing dental health care and education to underserved children and youth in Philadelphia and Washington, DC.

“Since opening, Kids Smiles has provided care to more than 65,000 children in our Philadelphia and Washington, DC dental centers. Additionally, more than 200,000 children have received oral health education through our in-house and outreach programs. Thanks to the generous support of The Walmart Foundation and Oral Health America, even more children will have access to a stable and family-friendly dental home that contributes to lifelong good health practices,” said Kids Smiles’ CEO Cheryl Janssen.

Kids Smiles operates dental centers located in Southwest and West Philadelphia, as well as Ward 7 in Washington, DC, while also providing education and outreach programs. Oral Health America has supported Kids Smiles since 2006, partnering through its Smiles Across America^® program, which has a goal to seal 2 million teeth by 2020. The sealant procedure effectively reduces children’s cavities by placing a “seal” on teeth, keeping tooth decay out. Kids Smiles’ clinical programs seal more than 17,000 teeth annually.

The Walmart Foundation will support Kids Smiles’ programs in DC, including dental screenings, dental health education, and outreach services. These programs are offered to community partners such as KIPP DC, 60 public elementary schools, all 68 Head Start centers across the city, and multiple summer camps and recreation centers in and around Ward 7.

# # #