Gordon to Help Drive Smiles and Dental Health Through National Education Campaign and School Programs in Conjunction with NASCAR Events Around the Country
ST. PAUL, Minn., (February 3, 2015) – As the 2015 NASCAR season begins, 3M has a new team member – NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon – leading the charge in his new No. 24 3M Chevrolet SS. Gordon also will be leading another important charge – to improve dental health for children in need around the country through 3M ESPE Dental, 3M Racing and the American Dental Association (ADA) Foundation’s Give Kids A Smile® program.
Gordon is well known for his work with children around the world through Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation, and now he brings that passion for children’s health to help educate more than 10,000 children in need through school-based oral health educational programs.
For the past four years, 3M ESPE Dental and 3M Racing have joined forces with the ADA Foundation to bring the Give Kids A Smile program to underserved elementary school students and race fans in conjunction with NASCAR race weekends.
“This season, our No. 24 3M Chevy SS team is excited to partner with 3M ESPE Dental Products and the American Dental Association Foundation’s Give Kids A Smile program to help drive smiles and good dental health for children in need,” said Gordon. “When you look at the life-long impact that poor dental health can have on a young child, you see how important it is to help underserved kids learn good dental health practices. It makes an incredible difference in their ability to learn, to eat nutritiously and have good self-esteem.”
Friday, February 6, marks the national kickoff of the ADA Foundation’s Give Kids A Smile Program for 2015. On that day, thousands of dentists will provide oral health services to hundreds of thousands of underserved children at treatment events throughout the U.S. More than five million underserved children have benefited through the Give Kids A Smile program since it was launched nationally in 2003.
Gordon will help continue the momentum throughout the year. 3M ESPE and the ADA Foundation will partner with NASCAR and the No. 24 3M team to deliver the message to some 10,000 underserved elementary school children in five race markets with fun-filled, high-speed oral health education events featuring the No. 24 3M Chevy SS team and race car. In addition, it will connect with millions more parents and families through dentist offices, health centers and national education outreach. The goals of the program are to eliminate cavities in kids under five and help under-served children learn smart dental health practices that will drive healthy smiles for the rest of their lives.
As a father of two young children, Gordon understands the challenges that parents and caregivers have in getting kids to routinely practice good dental health habits.
“With good brushing and daily flossing, a smart diet and regular visits to the dentist, all kids can achieve good dental health,” said Gordon. “It’s all about brushing twice a day for two minutes. If we can sends kids home from an education event with that message, along with some tips to share with their family members, a great toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss, we can get them on the right track for a terrific smile.”
“Working with someone like Jeff Gordon to bring the vital message of the importance of good oral care to hundreds of thousands of race fans is an exciting opportunity,” said John Tobin, direction, U.S. Business Unit, 3M ESPE Dental. “And, we are excited to extend this education program throughout the entire dental community to reach millions more parents and caregivers. We are so proud to partner with other industry leaders to address this critical issue and drive smiles for children in need.”
The ADA Foundation’s Give Kids A Smile program, now in its 13th year, is an access-to-care program whereby more than 1,500 Give Kids A Smile events will be held throughout the year around the country, providing dental services to approximately 350,000 underserved children.
For more information and smart dental tips, visit www.ada.org/givekidsasmile, www.3MESPE.com, www.2min2x.org, www.MouthHealthy.org and www.Facebook.com/GiveKidsASmile.
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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
As dentistry’s premier philanthropic and charitable organization, the ADA Foundation is a catalyst for uniting people and organizations to make a difference through better oral health. The ADA Foundation provides educational grants including dental student scholarships and allied dental scholarships; a variety of grants related to access to care and oral health outreach, including grants related to Give Kids A Smile®; and charitable assistance through its Emergency Disaster Assistance Grant Program and Relief Grant Program. The ADA Foundation also provides funding for the Dr. Anthony Volpe Research Center in Gaithersburg, MD (formerly the Paffenbarger Research Center). For more information about the ADA Foundation, visit www.adafoundation.org.
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.com or 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 $31 billion in sales, 3M employs 89,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.
