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Bridgeport Dentist Partners with Oral Health Bridgeport Initiative to Provide Free Dental Care for Uninsured Kids on Give Kids A Smile Day, February 1, 2008.
February 01, 2008
Dental professionals at the Bridgeport, Connecticut office of Dr. DeJesus & Associates will provide free dental services to disadvantaged children on February 1st, 2008. It's all part of the Give Kids A Smile program, which offers free educational materials, screenings and, free dental care such as cleaning, fluoride treatments, fillings, and more. Throughout the month of February approximately 500 uninsured children from low income and/or uninsured families in Bridgeport and Stratford inquired about receiving free dental services, as part of the American Dental Association's nation-wide Give Kids A Smile Day. "Dental care is a very important part of a child's overall health and hygiene. Having healthy teeth and gums play a major role in the future of the child's development and health. We're happy to provide these services for our community's children," explained Dr. Phillip J. DeJesus.
Throughout the month, Dr. Oberhand, from the office of Dr. DeJesus and Associates will also be visiting local schools and speaking to children about the importance of caring for their teeth. His visits include literature for the children to take home to parents as well as on-site demonstrations. Pain from untreated dental disease makes it difficult for children to eat, sleep and pay attention in school, and it also negatively affects their self-esteem.
Oral Health Bridgeport Initiative (ORBIT), a collaboration of public and private agencies, works to improve oral health and to reduce the disparity in access to oral health care for disadvantaged families in Bridgeport and Stratford. A total of thirty-eight dentists from the Greater Bridgeport area generously agreed to provide free dental services in their offices to 200 children with urgent dental needs in February, 2008. The ADA reports that 26 million children in the United States do not have dental insurance. (2005) The National Institutes of Health reports that 80 percent of tooth decay is now found in only 25 percent of children. Nearly half of tooth decay in children ages 2-9 is untreated.
For more information on free services provided by Dr. DeJesus & Associates, contact Rowena White at (203) 338-0183. Email: Rowena@whitelightadvertising.com
For additional information on GKAS Day 2008, please contact Vani Anand, MPH, ORBIT Oral Health Care Coordinator at (203) 372-5503. E-mail: vanand@swctahec.org
CONTACT
Rowena White
White Light Advertising
(203) 338-0183
Rowena@whitelightadvertising.com
