Nashville--FORBA Holdings, the dental practice management company focused on dental care for underserved communities, announced that Dr. Anupama Rao Tate has joined their Pediatric Dental Advisory Board to help guide care and treatment initiatives across their nationwide network of associated dental centers.
"In 2007, we established our Pediatric Dental Board to help keep our dental centers at the forefront of new care initiatives and treatment standards," said Michael Lindley, Chairman and CEO of FORBA. "In an effort to provide our patients with the high quality dental care they deserve at every visit, we have tapped the best and the brightest in the field of pediatric dentistry. Dr. Tate's experience in dealing with pediatric tooth decay, and the associated health implications, will be of tremendous benefit to both the continuing education of our caregivers and to our patients."
Dr. Tate is a recognized leader in the field of pediatric dentistry. Currently, she serves as the Director of Pediatric Dentistry at Children's National Medical Center and as an Assistant Professor at The George Washington University.
In addition to her position at Children's National in Washington, DC, Dr. Tate serves as an advisor to the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry's Head Start Dental Home Initiative, and as an advisor to the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. In 2009, she was named to the board of the Mid-Atlantic P.A.N.D.A. organization, which seeks to prevent dental abuse and neglect through dental awareness.
"I am proud to join FORBA's Pediatric Dental Advisory Board," said Dr. Tate. "During my career as a pediatric dentist, I have worked to help educate parents and children about the importance of good oral health, especially in low-income communities. I look forward to working with caregivers across the country in an effort to help provide some of our nation's most at-risk children with the dental care they need."
According to the Surgeon General, chronic tooth decay is the most prevalent childhood disease in America, affecting five times more children than asthma. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that 68% of children have decay in their permanent teeth. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), only 25% of low-income children nationwide receive adequate dental care. As a result, tooth decay is twice as prevalent in children from low-income families as it is in children from more affluent households.
"Kids of all income levels deserve a great smile, but only one in four children in low-income communities today has access to a dentist," said Lindley. "Last year, our associated caregivers treated more than 750,000 kids in more than 65 dental centers across the country. We believe that all children deserve a great smile and we will continue to invest in underserved communities in an effort to expand access to care."
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