COSTA MESA, CALIF. – For the sixth consecutive year, CareCredit has continued its support as Founding Donor of the American Dental Association Foundation Give Kids A Smile Fund with a $100,000 donation. The donation was made Feb. 3, 2012 in New York, where the 10th Anniversary of Give Kids A Smile Day was celebrated by opening the NASDAQ market and touring Give Kids A Smile events at the UMDNJ - New Jersey Dental School and Bergen Community College Hygiene Program.The funding will help the ADA Foundation provide grants in support of Give Kids A Smile programs to help achieve GKAS objectives of raising awareness of the high level of oral disease suffered by children primarily in underserved areas, and to enable volunteer dental teams to provide free dental care and education.In 2011, CareCredit’s contribution was used by the ADA Foundation as Continuity of Care Grants awarded to 11 non-profit organizations to:1. Provide screening and preventive services during the annual Give Kids A Smile Day held in February2. Establish a liaison/case management system to ensure children cared for during the event receive necessary follow-up treatment and ongoing care3. Implement oral health awareness initiatives for the public and medical professionals on a community basis“Research shows that poor oral health directly impacts a child on critical levels, including the child’s ability to eat, sleep, and focus in the classroom," said Cindy Hearn, senior vice president of marketing for CareCredit and a member of the ADA Give Kids A Smile National Advisory Committee. "Each year, the grant recipients use the funds to greatly improve the lives of children in their communities, and we’re proud to have helped increase access to dental care through our support of the ADA Foundation and our involvement with the American Dental Association’s Give Kids A Smile program.” “The ADA Foundation greatly appreciates CareCredit’s continuing support of the Give Kids A Smile Fund, which we will use for grants to support programs that help achieve the GKAS program goal of cavity-free kids by 2020," stated Gene Wurth, executive director, ADA Foundation.For more information on Give Kids A Smile or to donate, visit www.givekidsasmile.ada.org. Also visit carecredit.com.
Program helps give kids a healthy smile
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