Boys Girls Clubs of America Expands Partnership with America's ToothFairy

Boys & Girls Clubs of America Expands Partnership with America’s ToothFairy

Charlotte, February 19, 2013 — In celebration of National Children’s Dental Health Month, National Children’s Oral Health Foundation: America’s ToothFairy® (NCOHF) and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and its 4,000 Clubs are proud to announce an expansion of the partnership that began in 2010. The goal of this partnership expansion is to encourage good dental hygiene and foster stronger leaders among teens by providing critical oral health education and mentoring activities in some 4,000 Clubs nationwide.

Through implementation of the America’s ToothFairy Youth Mentoring Program, Clubs will begin incorporating oral health education into their leadership activities. Using America’s ToothFairy Community Education Kits, youth mentors will develop leadership skills while sharing information on good oral hygiene practices, prevention strategies and proper nutrition with Club members. Each America’s ToothFairy Community Education Kit includes engaging, age-appropriate oral health lessons for younger Club members.

The partnership began through Tomorrow’s SMILES, an America’s ToothFairy program providing donated oral health services for at-risk teens. Youth development professionals at local Boys & Girls Clubs recommend members suffering pain and ridicule from damaged smiles. In return, America’s ToothFairy identifies caring dentists willing to donate their services and expertise to give these deserving teens an attractive, healthy smile. In exchange, teen recipients Pay It Forward by sharing helpful oral health lessons with younger Boys & Girls Club members.

“Our positive experience working with the America’s ToothFairy life-changing Tomorrow’s SMILES program sparked our interest in further expanding our wonderful partnership,” says Jim Clark, Boys & Girls Clubs of America President and CEO. “With the educational materials and free dental services provided by America’s ToothFairy, we will continue to promote educational and leadership learning opportunities for the young people we serve to ensure they live healthier, more productive lives.”

“We are honored to be a strong partner of Boys & Girls Clubs of America,” stated Fern Ingber, NCOHF President & CEO. “Working together, we will help prevent the devastation caused by childhood tooth decay as we protect the smiles of thousands of young people across America.”

National Children’s Oral Health Foundation, known as America’s ToothFairy, was formed in 2006 as an aggressive response to eliminate pediatric dental disease by providing community programs and organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs with comprehensive resources to deliver vital educational, preventive, and treatment services to children most in need. Supporting the delivery of oral health education and care beginning at the prenatal level, NCOHF: America’s ToothFairy engages caring dental professionals and the general public in programs designed to promote children’s oral health. Through the generosity of dedicated supporters, NCOHF: America’s ToothFairy has reached millions of children through its national non-profit clinical network and volunteer professional and student community service programs.

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