CHARLOTTE, North Carolina--The National Children's Oral Health Foundation's affiliates will soon begin to administer a large number of varnish treatments to underserved children.
3M ESPE OMNI Preventive Care has donated 300,000 doses of varnish to NCOHF. Beginning this month, seven NCOHF affiliates will implement creative programs in Garden Grove, Huntington Beach and La Puente, Calif.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Olivette, Mo.; and North Wilkesboro, N.C. to deliver the first 73,000 doses to children who otherwise would not receive a varnish treatment.
NCOHF provides technical, educational, financial, and product support to a nationwide network of affiliated not-for profit pediatric facilities that deliver exemplary care. NCOHF's growing network includes university dental and dental hygiene schools, comprehensive health centers, stand-alone dental clinics, mobile/portable programs, hospital dental clinics, school-based programs, and programs that provide education, preventive and referral resources to a dental home.
NCOHF also provides an opportunity to share best practices that truly stop the cycle of oral disease and pain for children.
"3M ESPE is one of NCOHF's founding corporate underwriters," said Fern Ingber, NCOHF's president and CEO. "OMNI Preventive Care's additional contribution of varnish is enabling NCOHF Affiliates to expand and enhance efforts to prevent children's needless pain and suffering from pediatric dental disease. The healthier smiles of the children who are receiving these treatments will underscore our great appreciation for this generous contribution. We are fortunate to have such a great corporate citizen in 3M ESPE!"
One third of U.S. children suffer from serious oral health problems that negatively impact their ability to eat, sleep and learn. Discolored, decayed and abscessed teeth are painful, and can result in severe psychological, social, and economic consequences.
A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 28 percent of children ages 2 to 6 have tooth decay. Economically disadvantaged children ages 6 to 11 are three times more likely to have untreated tooth decay than children whose families are above the poverty line.
For more information on becoming an NCOHF Affiliate or to contribute, call (704) 350-1600 or visit National Children's Oral Health Foundation.
To read more about the foundation, go to National Children's Oral Health Foundation.
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