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For kids who live in communities where tooth decay is especially high, oral health education is paramount to prevent the pain, inconvenience, and financial consequences of dental disease. Unfortunately, for the safety-net dental clinics and nonprofit oral health programs created to serve these populations, printed educational materials and prevention outreach are often not in the budget.
That’s why we are grateful for the continued support of Cranberry, who is committed to educating communities about the importance of oral health and how to keep smiles healthy! For the third year in a row, the team at Cranberry sponsored Smile Guardian education kits designed to enhance the community outreach efforts of nonprofit dental programs that serve children in marginalized communities.
Thanks to their support, superhero-themed kits were provided to six organizations across the country. Each kit included enough resources to reach 500 kids and contained oral health activity booklets, informational brochures for caregivers, and toothbrushes, plus fun photobooth props including capes and masks to help kids see themselves as oral health action heroes–empowered to protect their smiles from tooth decay!
The organizations that received the Smile Guardian kits are:
Community Oral Health Initiatives (COHI), St. Christopher’s Foundation for Children, Philadelphia, PA
COHI will provide oral health education in throughout the school year at schools in the underserved community of North Philadelphia, where 35% of children live below the poverty level. The kits will help the My Marvelous Mouth education program provide age-appropriate education for 1,500 Latino and African American children where they learn, with special attention to grades Pre-K to 3rd and 7th. Resources in the kit will aid in generating excitement and education prior to the mobile dental team's arrival at schools for preventative and restorative care.
Bright Smiles, Bloomer, WI
The team from Bright Smiles will use the kits to provide oral health education for preschoolers through grade six in summer classrooms in Colfax, Wisconsin. Without the materials provided in the Smile Guardian kits, these presentations would not have been possible.
Capstone Health, Parrish, AL (pictured above)
Capstone Health is deeply rooted in their community, and is dedicated to nourishing and enriching the overall quality of life for their patients. During their 9th Annual Back2School Health Fair held in multiple locations in late July, their team will reach up to 900 students. These events have continued to grow tremendously in attendance and community support.
With their Smile Guardian kit, Capstone Health will be able to offer oral hygiene education and supplies to individuals who have never or rarely been to a dentist due to financial burdens. The students will be offered health screenings, health education, and community resources along with backpacks and school supplies.
MCHD Dentistry, Morgantown, WV
Through their mobile unit, Smile Express, the team from MCHD Dentistry will be attending several back-to-school events in rural counties this August. They aim to provide screenings, cleanings, and fluoride treatment, as well as as dental hygiene supplies and oral health education materials to up to 600 children attending the events.
Receiving the Smile Guardian kits gives Smile Express the opportunity to provide outreach services and give children the supplies they need to maintain healthy and happy smiles.
Bridging Brighter Smiles, Waukesha, WI
Bridging Brighter Smiles (BBS) is a school-based dental hygiene program that will be attending many in-person school registration events throughout the summer. They provide preventative dental hygiene services to children K-12th grade in more than 160 school districts throughout Wisconsin. They focus on children who don’t have the opportunity to receive dental care because of inadequate insurance coverage. During the 2022/2023 school year BBS provided care to more than 17,000 students!
Central Community College (CCC), Hastings, NE
The dental hygiene students from CCC will distribute their educational materials at local Headstart locations and elementary schools while providing dental screenings, and sealant and fluoride applications throughout the year. CCC expects to serve about 4,000 children with preventive services.
To learn more about sponsoring Smile Guardian kits for your community, contact us.
