KIDS SMILES RECEIVES $25,000 FROM ORAL HEALTH AMERICA, SUPPORTS FALL FOR SMILES CAMPAIGN
KIDS SMILES RECEIVES $25,000 FROM ORAL HEALTH AMERICA, SUPPORTS FALL FOR SMILES CAMPAIGN PHILADELPHIA – Kids Smiles nonprofit children’s dental organization was recently awarded a $25,000 Smiles Across America® grant to expand their dental outreach services to thousands of children
KIDS SMILES RECEIVES $25,000 FROM ORAL HEALTH AMERICA, SUPPORTS FALL FOR SMILES CAMPAIGN
PHILADELPHIA – Kids Smiles nonprofit children’s dental organization was recently awarded a $25,000 Smiles Across America® grant to expand their dental outreach services to thousands of children in the Philadelphia and Washington, DC areas by the national nonprofit organization Oral Health America. Oral Health America provides resources in the form of grants, donated dental product, and marketing support to nonprofit health-based organizations across the country which focus on school-based or school-linked dental services, education, and advocacy. Their current initiative, Fall for Smiles®, promotes the importance of self care, regular dental visits, healthy food choices, and tobacco avoidance as part of maintaining a healthy mouth and body. The goals of this initiative, which launched September 1st, mirror Kids Smiles Oral Health Curriculum, and will be featured on the Kids Smiles website, Facebook page, and Twitter updates during the campaign.
Tooth decay is the number one chronic disease among U.S. children, five times more prevalent than asthma. This is a staggering fact considering that tooth decay is almost completely preventable with proper dental healthcare, regular visits to the dentist, and proper nutrition. Even more alarming is a recent assessment conducted by The Pew Center on the States in which 23 states received a grade of C or lower in ensuring dental health and access to care for disadvantaged children. Pennsylvania’s grade was a D.
Kids Smiles, a nonprofit children’s dental organization, has been working to improve these dismal statistics by providing dental healthcare and education to inner-city children for 10 years. “Offering a child-friendly, stable dental home and health education in underserved communities is essential to treating dental disease and, just as importantly, creating healthy personal habits,” says Cheryl Janssen, Kids Smiles’ CEO and Executive Director, “Treatment, without prevention, will not improve dental health on a long term basis. Oral Health America’s grant enables us to serve even more children and its Fall for Smiles campaign will help to raise awareness about dental disease.”
An integral part of the Kids Smiles mission lies in its Education Outreach Program through which dental screenings, dental and overall health education, and preventive services are provided to area schools and community partners throughout Philadelphia and Washington.
About Kids Smiles:
Kids Smiles is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dental organization with dental centers in Philadelphia, PA and Washington, DC. It provides preventive and restorative dental care to children in underserved communities, and creates health empowerment education programs focusing on the prevention of dental disease and the development of positive personal health behaviors. Kids Smiles nonprofit dental centers treat more than 50,000 children through their dental homes. 85% of Kids Smiles patients use state funded insurance; 13% have private insurance and the remainder are uninsured.
About Oral Health America:
Oral Health America’s mission is to change lives by connecting communities with resources to increase access to oral health care, education and advocacy for all Americans, especially those most vulnerable. For more information, visit www.oralhealthamerica.org.
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