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May 19, 2004
By: Martin Murane
Website: http://www.teeth-whitening-smiles.com
Children's Dental Health Dentists Take Aim
February is National Children's Dental Health Month. In observance of this event, hundreds of dentists across Massachusetts will be participating in the American Dental Association's second annual Give Kids a Smile Day.
Once again, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's Office of Oral Health (MDPH), the Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS), Delta Dental Plan of Massachusetts, and the Tufts Mobile Dental Program are coordinating efforts to provide free dental screenings and follow-up care for children participating in Head Start programs across the state. MDS members will be providing these services in their private offices and at various Head Start locations.
MDS members very much appreciate the opportunity to partner with the MDPH, in donating their time and services to help children who might not otherwise be able to access dental treatment, says Dr. Renθ Bousquet, MDS president. Dental pain can be prevented. No one wants to see a child suffer needlessly.
I think it's wonderful that the dental community is working together to fight oral diseases that disproportionately affect disadvantaged children, says Mary Foley, director of the Office of Oral Health at the MDPH. Children suffer needlessly from oral disease and we're working collaboratively here in Massachusetts to eradicate these preventable diseases.
According to the Surgeon General's 2000 report, Oral Health in America, dental decay is the most common disease affecting children in the United States. Millions of children suffer from untreated, easily preventable oral diseases that affect overall health, including speech, eating patterns, and the ability to concentrate in school.
Last year, more than 500 MDS dentists and their staffs participated in the first Give Kids A Smile program by providing dental screenings and follow-up care to approximately 3,500 school children attending 95 elementary schools in Massachusetts.
Author Notes:
Martin Murane contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.teeth-whitening-smiles.com.
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