3M ESPE Dental and the ADA Host Give Kids A Smile Screening Event for St. Malachy’s Elementary Students at UIC College of Dentistry Department of Pediatric Dentistry
Biffle Finishes 16th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ Race at Chicagoland Speedway
ST. PAUL, Minn., (September 20, 2013) – This past race weekend, Greg Biffle, 3M Racing and 3M ESPE Dental had an opportunity to put smiles on lots of faces with a special ADA Give Kids A Smile® program for Chicago-area elementary school students and race fans of all ages.
As part of the NASCAR race week at Chicagoland Speedway, the American Dental Association’s (ADA) Give Kids A Smile® program visited the UIC College of Dentistry – Department of Pediatric Dentistry for a special high-speed oral health screening event featuring members of the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion race team and the No. 16 3M race car. Children from St. Malachy’s Elementary had a chance to rev up their dental health practices with a free check-up, cleaning and fluoride treatment, along with prizes, entertainment and high-speed fun. Local dignitaries, faculty members and members of the ADA board of trustees also attended the event.
The ADA’s Give Kids A Smile program, ADA Foundation, Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ:HSIC), CareCredit℠ and 3M ESPE Dental have teamed up with NASCAR star Greg Biffle for the third year to put good oral health on the fast track for young fans of NASCAR. Across the country, Biffle, driver of the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, is helping deliver the message to children about healthy habits like brushing for two minutes twice a day, flossing, visiting the dentist regularly and making smart food choices.
Thousands of race fans visited the 3M display in the midway for fun family activities, education about healthy dental habits, prizes and a chance to meet Biffle on Sunday morning.
“This program is great in that it helps teach parents and kids about good dental care for children, and provides education, screenings and treatment for thousands of kids in need each year. It’s an honor to be part of Give Kids A Smile,” said Biffle.
The weather on race day at Chicagoland Speedway was nothing to smile at, as rain delayed the start of the race and delivered a five-hour red flag mid-way through. Biffle started the race in the seventh spot, and finished the long, soggy day in 16th. He is now in the 10th position in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship.
“Give Kids A Smile is a terrific program that helps us showcase the great work of dentists and their teams in helping provide care to people who need it,” said ADA President Robert A. Faiella, D.M.D., M.M.Sc. “It’s a shame that dental disease is the most common chronic childhood disease when it’s something that can be prevented with proper oral hygiene and regular dental visits.”
The yearlong ADA Give Kids A Smile education program, now in its 11th year, includes a national public service announcement featuring Greg Biffle and ongoing outreach to parents and children through dental offices, community events and media. Throughout the year, more than 1,700 Give Kids A Smile events will be held around the country, providing dental services to more than 400,000 underserved children.
“The Give Kids A Smile program loves having the opportunity to work with 3M ESPE Dental, Greg Biffle and NASCAR,” said Dr. Jeff Dalin, co-founder and chair of the ADA Give Kids A Smile National Advisory Committee. “We spent a day at UIC Department of Pediatric Dentistry working with kids from a local elementary school and several days at Chicagoland Speedway giving out thousands of toothbrush kits and dental hygiene instructions to NASCAR fans. We were able to touch thousands of lives with the important message about brushing twice a day for two minutes to prevent future dental problems. This wouldn’t be possible without the support of our partners like Henry Schein, Inc., its supplier partners and CareCredit.”
In addition to following Biffle on the track, race fans of all ages can put themselves in victory lane with him. Just visit www.3MESPE.com/givekidsasmile to create a photo with Greg Biffle on pit road or with the race-winning trophy in Victory Lane. For more smart dental tips, visit www.2min2x.org, www.MouthHealthy.org and www.Facebook.com/
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About the American Dental Association
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation’s largest dental association, representing more than 157,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public’s health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA’s state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The public has long relied on the valuable and respected ADA Seal of Acceptance when choosing safe and effective consumer dental care products. The monthly Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the ADA’s flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit the Association’s Web site at www.MouthHealthy.org
About the ADA Foundation
The ADA Foundation strives to improve human health through improved oral health. Since 1991, the ADA Foundation has disbursed nearly $37.5 million dollars to support such charitable activities. In addition to funding grants for dental research, education, scholarships and access to care, the Foundation supports Charitable Assistance Programs such as relief grants to dentists and their dependents who are unable to support themselves due to injury, a medical condition or advanced age; and grants to dentists who are victims of declared disasters. www.adafoundation.org
About Henry Schein, Inc.
Henry Schein, Inc. is the world’s largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, medical and animal health practitioners. The Company also serves dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, and other alternate care sites. A Fortune 500® Company and a member of the NASDAQ 100® Index, Henry Schein employs more than 15,000 Team Schein Members and serves more than 775,000 customers. The Company offers a comprehensive selection of products and services, including value-added solutions for operating efficient practices and delivering high-quality care. Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 96,000 branded products and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 110,000 additional products available as special-order items. The Company also offers its customers exclusive, innovative technology solutions, including practice management software and e-commerce solutions, as well as a broad range of financial services. Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein has operations or affiliates in 25 countries. The Company’s sales reached a record $8.9 billion in 2012, and have grown at a compound annual rate of 17 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995. For more information, visit the Henry Schein Web site at www.henryschein.com.
About CareCredit
For over 25 years CareCredit, a healthcare credit card, has been making it easy for patients to receive desired care. Today, CareCredit is available in over 160,000 enrolled healthcare practices and has been used by over 20 million patients. CareCredit is exclusively selected for their members by many state and national dental associations, including ADA Business ResourcesSM, AGD, AAOMS, and AAP, and is also recommended by leading practice management educators.
About 3M ESPE Dental
3M ESPE is a dental product manufacturer that markets more than 2,000 dental products and services. 3M ESPE dental products are designed to help dental professionals improve their patients’ oral health care. The 3M Digital Oral Care Department, part of the 3M ESPE Division, aims to accelerate and strengthen 3M’s efforts to lead the digital transformation that is occurring in oral care. 3M Health Care, one of 3M’s five Business Groups, provides world-class innovative products and services to help health care professionals improve the practice and delivery of patient care in medical, oral care, drug delivery and health information markets. For more information on the complete 3M ESPE line of dental products, visit the 3M ESPE website at http://www.3MESPE.comor call the 3M ESPE Technical Hotline at 1-800-634-2249. Products are available for purchase through authorized 3M ESPE distributors.
3M and ESPE are trademarks of 3M or 3M Deutschland GmbH.
About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $30 billion in sales, 3M employs about 88,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.
