As part of our mission to support oral health education for underserved communities, America’s ToothFairy awarded a $5,000 grant to thePediatric Dentistry Clinic of the University of Illinois College of Dentistry. The presentation, which took place at our Celebration of Smiles event held February 21st during the Chicago Dental Society’s MidWinter Meeting, was part of our Chicago Smiles Initiative.

In Chicago 63% of third graders have cavities and more than half go untreated. The initiative, which is sponsored by GC America, supports service delivery and caregiver education, and reinforces the importance of oral health for the entire family. Last year, the initiative helped 19,298 children and 11,583 caregivers in and around Chicago receive oral health education.

“The Pediatric Dentistry Clinic provided clinical services and oral health education for 9,692 children last year and is training tomorrow’s dentists as part of the University’s College of Dentistry," said Jill Malmgren, Executive Director of America’s ToothFairy, during the presentation. “We are so pleased to support their work in the coming year with the help from GC America!”

GC America’s Director of Regulatory and Academic Affairs, Dr. Mark Heiss, was on hand to participate in the presentation. “GC America works closely with Chicago-area schools to promote oral health education,” Dr. Heiss said. “We are very proud to serve our community as Title Sponsor for this important initiative and partner with America’s ToothFairy to meet the oral health needs not only for kids living in and around Chicago, but across the country.”

The grant was received on behalf of the University of Illinois by Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Marcio de Fonseca.

About GC America

GC America Inc., located in Alsip, Illinois, is a leading private manufacturer of innovative dental products, committed to excellence, and dedicated to quality and customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.gcamerica.com.