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Kemple Memorial Children’s Dental Clinic awarded Affiliate of the Year honor from America’s ToothFairy

April 10, 2015
Kemple Memorial Children's Dental Clinic was selected as the 2015 Affiliate of the Year by America's ToothFairy.

Kemple Memorial Children's Dental Clinic (Kemple Clinic) was selected as the 2015 Affiliate of the Year, an honor awarded by America's ToothFairy: National Children's Oral Health Foundation to a leading nonprofit clinic or program in its Affiliate Network.

Spanning the U.S. and Canada, the America's ToothFairy Affiliate Network is a collaborative network of university dental and dental hygiene programs, community clinics, and school-based and mobile programs providing comprehensive oral health services to children and families in underserved communities.

Founded in 1998, Kemple Clinic is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children in Central Oregon by facilitating critical preventative, educational, and dental treatment services for children whose families cannot access basic dental care. Kemple Clinic was selected as the 2015 Affiliate of the Year for their collaborative, community-based approach and educational and clinical outreach to thousands of children across the region.

Working with more than 70 local dentists and other community stakeholders, Kemple Clinic has integrated an array of America's ToothFairy programs and resources to enhance existing services. For example, Kemple Clinic encourages local dental hygienists to participate in the America's ToothFairy Esther Wilkins Education Program, a program that provides free educational resources to dental hygienists who hold oral health educational programs for at-risk children.

Kemple Clinic also participated in the America’s ToothFairy Smile Drive, a national campaign held each February during National Children's Dental Health Month to raise oral health awareness and collect oral care products for vulnerable children. Kemple Clinic held 18 Smile Driveevents at local Walmart stores and pharmacies, collecting more than 3,500 oral care products for local children and teens.

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In addition to accessing America's ToothFairy resources and programs, Kemple Clinic has also received donated dental products and financial grants from America's ToothFairy. Since its founding in 2006, America’s ToothFairy has delivered more than $14 million in direct funding, educational resources, and donated dental products and equipment to its Affiliate Network.

"Kemple Memorial Children's Dental Clinic truly embodies everything we look for in an Affiliate, community collaboration, a commitment to oral health education and prevention, and, most of all, demonstrated impact on the lives of the children they serve," said Fern Ingber, America's ToothFairy president and CEO. "We are proud to recognize Kemple Memorial Children's Dental Clinic as our 2015 Affiliate of the Year and commend their leadership and staff for their excellence and strong commitment to a healthier Oregon."

"Thank you so much for this prestigious award," commented Suzanne Browning, executive director of Kemple Memorial Children’s Dental Clinic. "We are grateful for our relationship with America's ToothFairy and look forward to many years of continued collaboration to steadily improve the oral health of Oregon's children."