(Charlotte, NC—October 13, 2010) – National Children’s Oral Health Foundation: America’s Toothfairy® (NCOHF) and Boys & Girls Clubs of America have announced a partnership that will expand oral healthcare access to millions of underserved children through Tomorrow’s SMILES® and the America’s Toothfairy Dental Home Program™.
Tomorrow’s SMILES was created and initially funded by a gift from Dr. Ronald Goldstein, a highly respected clinician, author and lecturer. NCOHF has developed partnerships with leading dental organizations to identify caring professionals in communities across the country willing to provide promising at-risk teens with pro bono care. Through this program, eligible Boys & Girls Club members will receive comprehensive esthetic and restorative services, transforming their smiles, renewing their self-esteem, and ensuring that they are better prepared for healthy and productive futures. In return, Tomorrow’s SMILES students will share valuable oral health lessons with younger Club members through the program’s Pay-It-Forward component, ensuring that good hygiene habits are instilled early in a child’s life.
Through the America’s Toothfairy Dental Home Program™, NCOHF will work with its national volunteer network of dental professionals to ensure Boys & Girls Club members can receive regular, comprehensive dental care in a compassionate healthcare environment. NCOHF volunteer professionals donate their ongoing services to a child or children in need, giving them a “dental home” and laying the foundation for proper oral health practices and increased opportunities for future success.
Underserved children and teens will be identified through their local Boys & Girls Club and matched with a nearby NCOHF volunteer dentist to receive the care they need and deserve. All dentists and dental offices are invited to participate as Tomorrow’s SMILES and America’s Toothfairy Dental Home Program volunteers by contacting NCOHF at 1-800-559-9838 or info@ncohf.org.
“A beautiful smile can truly enhance a child’s life,” said Sharon Hemphill, Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s senior director, Health and Life Skills. “Through our partnership with the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation, we can help our Club members learn healthy habits that last a life time.”
Fern Ingber, NCOHF president and CEO, stated, “we are proud to partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a celebrated national organization that shares our commitment to ensuring all children have the building blocks to reach their full potential. Our collaboration will not only expand access to life-changing care for deserving youth, but America’s Toothfairy educational messaging will give both Boys & Girls Club members and their caregivers the tools to establish healthy habits at home that last a lifetime.”
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) has enabled young people, especially those who need Clubs most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, some 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs serve more than 4.2 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs can be found throughout the country and on U.S. military installations worldwide, providing young people 6-18 years old with guidance-oriented character development programs conducted by trained, professional staff. Key programs emphasize leadership development; education and career exploration; community service; technology training; financial literacy; health and life skills; the arts; sports, fitness and recreation; and family outreach. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.
About National Children’s Oral Health Foundation: America’s Toothfairy® (NCOHF)
National Children’s Oral Health Foundation: America’s Toothfairy® (NCOHF) is a 501(c)(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 university and community based dental clinics, health centers, and mobile programs throughout America.
