As part of its mission to support oral health education for underserved communities, America’s ToothFairy awarded a $5,000 grant to the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Dentistry. The presentation, which took place during the organization’s Celebration of Smiles at the Chicago Dental Society MidWinter Meeting, was part of the America’s ToothFairy Chicago Smiles initiative.
In Chicago, 63% of third graders have cavities, and more than half go untreated, America’s ToothFairy reports. Sponsored by GC America, the initiative supports service delivery and caregiver education while reinforcing the importance of oral health for the entire family. Last year, it helped 19,292 children and 11,583 caregivers in and around Chicago receive oral health education.
“The Pediatric Dentistry Clinic provided clinical services and oral health education for 9,692 children last year and is training tomorrow’s dentists as part of the university’s College of Dentistry,” said Jill Malmgren, executive director of America’s ToothFairy. “We are so pleased to support their work in the coming year with the help from GC America.”
“GC America works closely with Chicago-area schools to promote oral health education,” said Dr. Mark Heiss, GC America’s director or regulatory and academic affairs. “We are very proud to serve our community as Title Sponsor for this important initiative and partner with America’s ToothFairy to meet the oral health needs not only for kids living in and around Chicago but across the country.”
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