(Charlotte, NC, July 18, 2017) – America’s ToothFairy: National Children’s Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF) has awarded $85,000 in grants to members of its Dental Resource Program (DRP), a national network of non-profit clinics providing oral health education and care to children and families in need. NCOHF provides DRP member clinics with financial, product and educational resources to support delivery of critical services for underserved children.

Children in need often face many obstacles preventing them from receiving dental care including financial hardship, lack of transportation, language barriers, low oral health literacy, and others. Grant funding from NCOHF will help 17 recipient organizations overcome these barriers and increase access to care for thousands of children through projects including school-based screenings, education and care for children with special needs, and comprehensive care for children living in poverty. Grant recipients include:

•        Apple Tree Dental:                                                                            $5,000 3M Oral Care ToothFairy Grant
•        Cass County Dental Clinic:                                                                    $5,000 Septodont ToothFairy Grant
•        Children’s Dental Services:                                                                    $5,000 Patterson Dental ToothFairy Grant
•        Community Dental Care:                                                                    $5,000 Henk van Duijnhoven ToothFairy Grant
•        Dr. Earl R. Crane Children’s Dental Health Center:                                            $5,000 KaVo Kerr ToothFairy Grant
•        Just Kids Dental:                                                                            $5,000 Medicom ToothFairy Grant
•        Kemple Memorial Children’s Dental Clinic:                                                    $5,000 Medicom ToothFairy Grant
•        Let’s Smile:                                                                                    $5,000 Patterson Dental Sparkle ToothFairy Grant
•        Northern Dental Access:                                                                    $5,000 Steve Fletcher ToothFairy Grant
•        Ravenswood Family Health Center:                                                            $5,000 GC America, Inc. ToothFairy Grant
•        Ready Set Smile:                                                                            $5,000 Dentsply Sirona ToothFairy Grant
•        San Gabriel Valley Foundation for Dental Health:                                            $5,000 IQ Dental Supply ToothFairy Grant
•        St. John’s Well Child & Family Center:                                                            $5,000 Dr. Gordon Christensen ToothFairy Grant
•        The Children’s Dental Center:                                                                    $5,000 Sheets, Paquette & Wu Dental Practice ToothFairy Grant
•        Tufts University School of Dental Medicine:                                                    $5,000 SS White ToothFairy Grant
•        University of New Mexico Division of Dental Hygiene:                                            $5,000 TSC EcoSolutions, Inc. ToothFairy Grant
•        Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry:                                    $5,000 IQ Dental Supply ToothFairy Grant
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Cass County Dental Clinic, a non-profit program serving low-income children in rural Missouri, was one of the ToothFairy Grant recipients. Located in a county with no public transportation, NCOHF grant funding will enable Cass County Dental Clinic to travel to area schools, provide services and coordinate follow up care for those with unmet dental needs.

“NCOHF grant funding will allow us to expand the reach of our school-based dental screening program during the 2017/2018 school year,” said Cynthia Randazzo, Cass Community Health Foundation and Cass County Dental Clinic President. Randazzo said, “With this generous support, we will be able to screen students in the two poorest school districts in our service area. Identifying children with unmet dental needs and connecting them to care will help them thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.”

“We are proud to award these ToothFairy grants in honor of the caring companies and individuals supporting our mission to increase access to essential oral care for children in need,” said Jill Malmgren, Executive Director of NCOHF. “With these generous contributions, the clinics and community partners we support will be able to provide more children with preventive services and critical dental treatment.”

About America’s ToothFairy: National Children’s Oral Health Foundation
As a resource provider, America’s ToothFairy: National Children’s Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF) increases access to oral health care by supporting non-profit clinics and community partners delivering education, prevention and treatment services for underserved children. Since its inception in 2006, America’s ToothFairy has distributed more than $17 million in donated products, educational materials and financial grants to improve oral health outcomes for children and youth in need. For more information, visit www.AmericasToothFairy.org.