2/1/2008

Mayor Healy and LibertyHealth “Give Kids A Smile”

JERSEY CITY – Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy and leaders of LibertyHealth System joined Give Kids A Smile today to encourage children and their families to care for their teeth and combat increasing tooth decay found among pre-school children.

Give Kids A Smile is a national American Dental Association event that encourages dentists to provide free dental care, education materials and oral health screenings for children. Mayor Healy, LibertyHealth President and CEO Joe Scott and LibertyHealth Board Chair Lynn Schundler attended the event at the Christopher Columbus Dental Center, which is the out-patient dental clinic of the LibertyHealth System. The event kicks off National Children’s Dental Health Month.

“Dental disease is an education and public health issue,” said Mayor Healy. “It is through initiatives like Give Kids a Smile and the dedicated service of dental professionals and volunteers that everyone is given the care they so desperately need. These contributions to the health and well being of our children truly give them something to smile about.”

During the day, nearly 3,000 children throughout New Jersey received dental care ranging from oral hygiene education to preventive and restorative care to emergency services, all at no cost. More than 1,000 dental professionals and community volunteers donated their time and services.

Sponsored locally by the Hudson County Dental Society, Give Kids A Smile provides low-income families with free access to high-quality dental care that they might not otherwise find. Children from low-income families are at greater risk for tooth decay, according to the ADA.

“Poor dental health has been called a silent epidemic by the U.S. Surgeon General,” said Scott. “The Christopher Columbus Dental Center provides access to care for many children in our community. But more needs to be done throughout the nation to ensure all children receive proper dental education and proper routine dental checkups.”

Last year, Give Kids a Smile saw its 10,000th child and reached the $2,000,000 mark in services donated since its inception in 2002.

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