Centrix Dental Toothfairy Grant awarded by the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation reaches uninsured children to prevent chronic dental illness
(Charlotte, NC – January 13, 2009) The National Children’s Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF) has awarded a $12,000 Centrix Dental Toothfairy Grant to Sonrisas Community Dental Center in Half Moon Bay, California, to help expand and enhance oral health programs to underserved families whose children require extensive dental care.
Centrix president, Bill Dragan, said, “Our continued focus is to improve the art and science of dentistry, making dentistry easier for the practitioner and improving care for the patient. We are excited to work with the NCOHF to support an issue of great importance to the health of our nation – preventing all children from suffering with unnecessary dental disease.”
Fern Ingber, NCOHF’s president and CEO, praised the company’s generosity. “Centrix shares our passion to eliminate painful debilitating pediatric oral disease. One-third of children suffer from serious oral health problems that negatively impact their ability to eat, sleep and learn. Generous corporate donors like Centrix are helping prevent needless pain for thousands of vulnerable children.
Sonrisas Community Dental Center is a member of NCOHF’s national affiliate network, dedicated to delivering comprehensive oral health treatment and preventative educational services to millions of economically disadvantaged children and their families.
Julie McKeon, executive director of the rural center, noted, “Many low-income and uninsured families are balanced precariously on the financial edge during these difficult economic times, so taking time off work to take their child to the dentist can pose problems. The oral health of these children has been in jeopardy with hygiene not maintained and treatment plans not completed. Expanded Saturday appointments at the clinic and health fairs in their neighborhoods will offer us a great opportunity to reconnect with families and encourage them to restart their children’s dental care.”
About Centrix
As a company founded by a dentist – for dentists- Centrix’s pledge is to “make dentistry easier” by providing solutions that improve a practice’s productivity and provide superior patient care. With the increased demand for its products worldwide, Centrix is now established in over 50 countries throughout North America, Latin America, Asia, Oceania and Europe.
About the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF)
The National Children’s Oral Health Foundaction (NCOHF) is a 501©(3) nonprofit, dedicated to raising awareness of the #1 chronic childhood illness: pediatric dental disease, facilitating delivery of comprehensive pediatric oral health services, and eliminating this preventable disease from future generations. NCOHF draws on vast national resources to secure and distribute product and financial donations along with innovative preventive programs to a growing network of not-for-profit community-based universities, health centers, dental clinics, and mobile programs throughout America.
For more information about NCOHF, please visit www.AmericasToothfairy.org.