Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children Awards Ten Access to Care Grants

Leading Oral Health Care Foundation Recognizes Organizations Providing Dental Care Access to Children in Need

CHICAGO, April 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children (HSHC), the Foundation of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), awarded 10 Access to Care Grants to organizations throughout the country that supported local service initiatives and provided oral health care access to underserved, at-risk children. Through these 10 community-based organizations, HSHC will reach approximately 25,000 children over the next year. 

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100702/HSHCLOGO)

Access to Care Grants were awarded to: the Boys and Girls Club of Newark (New Jersey), Children's Dental Health Association of San Diego (California), Cincinnati Health Department (Ohio), Columbus Neighborhood Health Center, Inc. (Ohio), Dental Foundation of Oregon, Lehigh Valley Hospital (Pennsylvania), Miles of Smiles Inc. Portable Dental Program (Missouri), San Ysidro Health Center (California), Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry and The Ricardo Salinas Pediatric Dental Clinic University of Texas Health Science Center.

For the 2012-2013 grant phase, the HSHC Board of Trustees decided to increase the number of grants awarded for this year after receiving more than 300 submissions -- the most proposals from any grant cycle to-date.  The 10 Access to Care Grant awardees will receive up to $20,000 per year and funds may be applied to cover costs of clinic supplies and instruments, patient/parent education materials, take-home supplies (toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc.), education and/or outreach to recruit dentist participation in program activities, or other activity with clear, direct impact on child oral care.

According to a 2000 U.S. Surgeon General's report, dental decay is the most common untreated chronic childhood illness in America.  Poor oral health poses a serious threat to the overall health and development of millions of young children, but receives far less attention than more widely-publicized concerns such as obesity, diabetes and asthma. 

"We are honored to help these 10 organizations provide underserved and disadvantaged children with oral health care through our Access to Care Grants," said Dr. David K. Curtis, President of HSHC.  "Good oral health improves children's overall health and quality of life, and that access to oral health care and education is important for everyone.  Through our Access to Care Grants, we are dedicated to being an advocate for comprehensive quality oral health care for all children."

HSHC Access to Care Grants must be expended within 12 months of award, and recipients may reapply in subsequent years. Funding will be awarded to the 10 organizations on July 1, 2012.

About Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children: The Foundation of the AAPD
Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children, the Foundation of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, was established in 1987 by the AAPD to support and promote service, education and research that advances the oral health of infants and children through adolescence, including those with special health care needs. HSHC's endowment is used to support community-based initiatives that provide Access to Care for all children.  For more information, visit the HSHC Web site at www.healthysmileshealthychildren.org.

About Boys and Girls Club of Newark (BGCN)
At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newark (BGCN), our mission is to provide opportunities for youth that empower them to succeed and excel as contributing members of society. This is accomplished by providing a safe environment, under the direction of caring and trained adults, where programs develop life skills, values, character and leadership, thereby helping young people realize their individual potential.

About Children's Dental Health Association of San Diego
Since 1952, Children's Dental Health Association of San Diego has dedicated itself to providing dental services and education to underprivileged children in San Diego. The Association funds our Children's Dental Health Center, School-Based Program, and other Programs reaching out to the children of our community. Our Center, located near downtown San Diego, has cared for generations of children. Our School-Based program, established in 1996, sends dentists to local low-income schools. Each year thousands of children receive on-site dental exams, cleanings, sealants and education. Our Meet the Need Program, collaboration with Children's Hospital and Health Center's Pediatric Residency Program and Health Fairs are just some of the community projects allowing CDHA to reach many more families each year.

About Cincinnati Health Department (CHD)
Cincinnati Health Department (CHD) is the Health Department for the City of Cincinnati with health centers, lab services, communicable disease experts, environmental services and other public health programs. The Department has more than 300 physicians, nurses, dentists and dental workers, laboratory technicians, pharmacists, dietitians, lead experts, sanitarians, litter control experts, pest control operators and licensed risk assessors.

About Columbus Neighborhood Health Center, Inc. (CNHC)
Columbus Neighborhood Health Center, Inc. is a primary care network consisting of five state-of-the-art health centers.  It is the largest, fastest-growing urban health center in Central Ohio.  Through collaborative partnerships with more than 150 community stakeholders, CNHC is part of a safety net of providers that offer services at affordable prices for the uninsured and medically underserved, and is one of 34 community health centers operating 140 sites across the state.  For more information about CNHC, please visit www.colnhc.org or call 614-645-5500.

About The Dental Foundation of Oregon (DFO)
Founded in 1982 by the Oregon Dental Association, the DFO works to improve the oral health of Oregon's under-served children through advocacy, community grants to non-profit dental clinics and by taking dental care and oral health education directly to children on the Tooth Taxi mobile dental van. Since its inception just three years ago, the Tooth Taxi has visited 155 schools/sites, helped over 10,659 students and delivered $2,737,082 in donated dental services.

About Lehigh Valley Hospital
Lehigh Valley Health Network includes three hospital facilities—two in Allentown and one in Bethlehem, Pa.; Nine health centers caring for communities in four counties; numerous primary and specialty care physician practices throughout the region. Lehigh Valley Health Network has been recognized by US News & World Report for 16 Consecutive years as one of America's Best Hospitals; Is a national Magnet Hospital for excellence in nursing; and has been honored nine straight years among the top integrated health networks in the U.S. Lehigh Valley Health Network's Cancer Center is one of only 30 sites nationwide that partners with the National Cancer Institute's Community Cancer Centers Program. Additional information is available at lvhn.org and by following us on facebook.com/LVHealthNetwork and twitter.com/LVHNnews.

About Miles of Smiles Inc. Portable Dental Program
The Miles of Smiles Inc. Portable Dental Program began in 2002 to meet the oral health care needs of low-income children in Clay and Platte Counties. The dental program consists of two dentists and four dental assistants who provide treatment on-site, in schools, and at other social service organizations. All services are free to Clay and Platte county children who meet the income guidelines.

About San Ysidro Health Center (SYHC)
Since 1969, San Ysidro Health Center (SYHC) has been providing high-quality and culturally proficient primary health care services to low-income residents of San Diego County's diverse South and Southeastern regions. In addition to medical care provided via a service delivery network of nine primary care clinics, SYHC also operates five dental clinics and manages a pediatric dental residency program in partnership with UCLA and Lutheran Medical Center.  SYHC operates the only pediatric dental clinic in San Diego County serving medically fragile children; the San Diego Children's Dental Clinic (SDCDC) is housed within Rady Children's Hospital and serves a population of children with a variety of serious health issues, including cancer, sickle cell anemia, cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome, and other physical and mental disabilities. In addition, the health center and A.T. Still University are working in collaboration to develop a dental clinic for adults with special needs at SYHC's new Euclid Family Health Center.

About Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC) Baylor College of Dentistry
As a distinguished resource for dental education in Texas for more than 100 years, Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas is dedicated to combining higher education and research with community service.  The college opened its doors in 1905, was affiliated with Baylor University from 1918 to 1971 and spent the next 25 years as an independent, private institution.  In 1996, HSC-BCD entered an entirely new era as a member of The Texas A&M University System. In 1999, the college became a founding component of the Texas A&M Health Science Center.

About The Ricardo Salinas Pediatric Dental Clinic University of Texas Health Science Center
This clinic is a safety net for children that are otherwise unable to receive care. The cost of treatment is based on the family income; comprehensive care is delivered by a professional team consisting of: a Pediatric Dentistry Faculty member, two pediatric dentistry residents and three senior dental students. Comprehensive care is provided for children up to 13 years of age. Predoctoral students have the opportunity to gain pediatric dentistry experience by providing care to an underserved area. The program is a successful partnership with the City of San Antonio, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, Methodist Healthcare Ministries and the Health Science Center.

SOURCE Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children