Press Releases

DentaQuest Foundation, Health Foundation of South Florida, and The Children’s Trust Support New Healthy Smiles in Our Schools Program for Miami-Dade County -- 12/17/2009

Miami – The DentaQuest Foundation is partnering with Health Foundation of South Florida, The Children’s Trust, and two Miami community health centers to introduce the new Healthy Smiles in Our Schools program to public schools in Miami-Dade County.

The goal of Healthy Smiles in Our Schools is to increase the number of children receiving preventive and restorative dental care and to deliver these services in a practical and cost-effective way – at school where the children spend most of their day. The program will be operated in partnership with Health Connect in Our Schools, the healthcare program operated by The Children’s Trust in Miami Dade public schools.

The DentaQuest Foundation is supporting Healthy Smiles in Our Schools with two grants, each worth $50,000, awarded to Borinquen Health Care Center and to Community Health of South Florida, who will be providing the dental services. The grants will allow the two health centers to purchase portable dental equipment and supplies for this new at-school oral health program. Health Foundation of South Florida is providing $69,000 to fund the technical assistance needed to implement the program. This program will be piloted in 27 schools to improve the oral health of South Florida’s children and is targeted at children who do not currently receive dental care.

Dental disease, also known as tooth decay, is the most common chronic childhood disease, five times more common than asthma. It is also preventable with proper care. Good oral health is an important part of a child’s overall well being, especially as they and their teeth are developing.

The Healthy Smiles in Our Schools program will provide dental exams and treatment. These are crucial to identify risks and help prevent more serious problems from occurring such as tooth decay and gum disease. Dentists can even identify early signs of other diseases such as diabetes and vitamin deficiencies during exams. Without regular prevention measures like exams and sealants on molars, dental disease often goes untreated and can result in cavities, pain and infection. Untreated dental disease can interfere with a child’s learning, speech, and eating, leading to poor nutrition and problems in school.

Healthy Smiles in Our Schools is the result of a unique partnership of leaders in health care and philanthropy. They include the two community health centers, Safety Net Solutions, a program of the DentaQuest Institute, which is providing technical advisory services to the participating community health center dental staff as they launch Healthy Smiles in Our Schools, the DentaQuest Foundation and Health Foundation of South Florida, and the community sponsorship and support of The Children’s Trust and DentaQuest’s government dental benefits business.

For the participating health center dental programs, the school-based program is an opportunity to provide necessary preventive care to children in Miami-Dade County and to introduce their families to the health centers for ongoing, comprehensive health care.

These grants support the mission of the DentaQuest Foundation to strengthen community initiatives and strategies, to strengthen the dental care safety net, to increase access to care for vulnerable children, and ultimately, to improve oral health.

About the DentaQuest Foundation
The DentaQuest Foundation is committed to optimal oral health for all Americans through its support of prevention and access to affordable oral health care, and through its partnerships with funders, policy makers and community leaders. For more information please visit dentaquestfoundation.org.

About the DentaQuest Institute and Safety Net Solutions
The DentaQuest Institute engages in oral health quality improvement research and technical assistance, provided through the Safety Net Solutions program that contributes to more effective and efficient oral health care delivery. For more information please visit dentaquestinstitute.org.

About Health Foundation of South Florida
Health Foundation of South Florida supports efforts to make the region a beacon of innovative and effective multicultural approaches to health promotion and health care. As a grant making foundation, Health Foundation of South Florida’s mission is to improve health outcomes and quality community-based programs for underserved individuals in Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties by focusing on initiatives and programs that support healthy aging, healthy lifestyles, preventive measures, primary care and oral health. Since 1993, the Foundation awarded more than $84 million in grants and direct program support. For more information please visit hfsf.org.

About The Children’s Trust
The Children's Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County -- because all children are our children. The Children's Trust supports programs and engages in effective collaborations that lead to high quality services and best practices that improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County. The Trust encourages creative approaches to coordinating, integrating and funding services across and within the areas of health, safety, development and to promote increased parental and community involvement on behalf of all our children. For more information please visit thechildrenstrust.org.

About Borinquen Health Care Center
Borinquen Health Care Center operates a comprehensive primary health, dental, and behavioral health center in Miami-Dade County, (Wynwood, Allapattah, Melrose, Little River, Little Haiti, Little Havana, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Biscayne Gardens, West Dade/Sweetwater), a mobile medical unit, a behavioral health resources center, a new access point in West Dade/Sweetwater, and a satellite clinic in the Village South. For more information please visit borinquenhealth.org.

About Community Health of South Florida
Community Health of South Florida provides affordable primary and behavioral health services to residents of South Florida at seven state of the art care centers located in Miami, Florida City, Marathon Key, Homestead, Naranja and Perrine and through 27 school-based programs. For more information please visit chisouthfl.org.

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