Students from Local Dallas School Join Effort to “Brush with the Biff” and Put Good Dental Health on the Fast Track
ST. PAUL, Minn., (March 28, 2014) – Greg Biffle is ready to return to victory lane. The last time he took home the checkered flag, it was in the No. 16 3M ESPE Dental Give Kids A Smile® Ford Fusion. And when he brings that car to Texas in April, he will have his sights set on taking home the trophy – and bringing smiles to a lot of fans around the country.
Biffle likes the 1.5 mile ovals such as Texas, and won the spring races there in 2005 and 2012. In 20 starts at the track, he has eight top five and 12 top-10 finishes, and has led some 733 laps at the track.
This is the fourth year that NASCAR star Greg Biffle has helped put good dental health for kids on the fast track and driven a special Give Kids A Smile car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. When Biffle drove the No. 16 Give Kids A Smile car in 2013, he took it to victory lane at Michigan.
As part of the Texas race weekend, Biffle and the No. 16 3M race team will host a special dental education program at the racetrack on Friday, April 4. Nearly 125 students and teachers from Our Lady of Perpetual Help elementary and middle school will visit the track for a fun, educational day that includes:
Education program on good dental health and cavity prevention
Visit to the 3M Mobile Innovation Center
Chance to meet the No. 16 3M race team
Photos with the 3M DeeBo mascot
Lunch
Special dental health gift bag
“The No. 16 3M ESPE Dental Give Kids A Smile car is very special to me, and so is the Give Kids A Smile program,” said Biffle, a father of a toddler. “Not only were we able to take home the victory at Michigan in it, we were able to reach so many people with the message about good dental health for children. I’m excited to have Give Kids A Smile back on the car, and look forward to seeing it back in victory lane.”
Revving Up Good Dental Health around the Country
3M ESPE Dental has joined together with the American Dental Association’s Give Kids A Smile program, ADA Foundation, Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ:HSIC), CareCredit℠, Church and Dwight, Oral Health America and NASCAR star Greg Biffle again 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.
During the 2014 NASCAR season, the Give Kids A Smile program is bringing the “Brush with the Biff” program to 11 racetracks, including Daytona (February), Texas (April), Richmond (April), Talladega (May), Kentucky (June), Bristol (August), Chicago (September), Dover (September), Kansas (October), Charlotte (October) and Phoenix (November). At each race, race fans of all ages visit the 3M display in the midway for fun family activities, education about healthy dental habits, dental care kits that include Church and Dwight SpinBrushes and ToothTune toothbrushes, and a chance to meet Biffle on race day.
In five race markets, the Give Kids A Smile program will also race into local schools for fun-filled high-speed oral health education events featuring members of the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion race team and the No. 16 3M race car. Through a grant from the ADA Foundation made possible by funding from CareCredit and a grant from Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children: The Foundation of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, more than 7,500 students will have an opportunity to learn about Biffle and 3M Racing and get smart dental tips that will improve their dental health, confidence and ability to pay attention in school. Participating markets include Texas, Kentucky, Bristol, Chicago and Phoenix.
“Bringing a special Give Kids A Smile race car to Texas helps create even more visibility and awareness for the ‘Brush with the Biff’ education message,” said John Stefanick, Director, Industry Relations, 3M ESPE Dental Division. “And, being able to visit victory lane again will help ensure we all help children win the race for good dental health.”
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 ww.2min2x.org, www.MouthHealthy.org and www.Facebook.com/GiveKidsASmile.
The yearlong ADA Give Kids A Smile education program, now in its 12th 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 1,500 Give Kids A Smile events will be held around the country, providing dental services to approximately 350,000 underserved children.
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 Henry Schein, Inc.
Henry Schein, Inc. is the world’s largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical 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 16,000 Team Schein Members and serves more than 800,000 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 $9.6 billion in 2013, and have grown at a compound annual rate of nearly 17% 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 175,000 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 Oral Health America
OHA’s mission is to change lives by connecting communities with resources to increase access to oral health care, education and advocacy for all Americans, especially those most vulnerable. Through Smiles Across America®, which serves 400,000 children annually, the Wisdom Tooth Project™, which reaches tens of thousands of older adults, and the Campaign for Oral Health Equity, which prioritizes oral health alongside other chronic diseases, OHA provides needed oral health care and education, helping Americans of all ages to have a healthy mouth and understand the importance of oral health for overall health. For more information about Oral Health America, please visit https://teethwisdom.org/about-oral-health-america/
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.
