CREST HEALTHY SMILES 2010, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DENTAL & ORAL SURGERY AND THE CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY GIVE KIDS A SMILE ON FEBRUARY 6

NEW YORK, February 6, 2004 — As part of their continuing commitment to provide oral care access and education, Crest Healthy Smiles 2010 (CHS 2010), Columbia University School of Dental & Oral Surgery and The Children’s Aid Society will provide free dental screenings and oral health education from their Mobile Dental Center on Friday, February 6th at the Boys & Girls Columbus Clubhouse in the Bronx. This combined effort is part of the American Dental Association’s national “Give Kids A Smile” campaign to provide charitable services to children from low-income families who don’t have adequate access to oral health care.

“There is a great need for oral care access and education among children in our community, said Stephen Marshall, D.D.S, M.P.H, Associate Dean for Extramural Programs at Columbia University’s School of Dental & Oral Surgery. “’Give Kids a Smile Day’ provides us with a great opportunity to make a difference in the lives of this city’s children and to provide them with care and education that will put them on the path to good oral hygiene.”

The free services will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Columbus Clubhouse located on 543 East 189th Street in the Bronx. In addition to free screenings and oral health education, children will receive free Crest oral care products, educational materials and T-shirts.

“Through “Give Kids a Smile Day” and our partnership with Columbia University’s School of Dental & Oral Surgery and The Children’s Aid Society we will be able to further the Crest Healthy Smiles 2010 goal of improving the oral hygiene of children in the Northern Manhattan area with the treatment and education they need to create and maintain healthy smiles for life,” said Diane Dietz, marketing director for Crest.

"Give Kids A Smile” will help so many children on this one day, but our larger purpose will be to deliver the message that the dental profession alone cannot eliminate barriers to dental care,” said ADA President, T. Howard Jones, D.M.

The ADA created “Give Kids A Smile Day” to provide dental services to thousands of low-income children across the country who otherwise wouldn't receive care and to draw attention to the chronic degree of untreated dental disease in the nation's children. Over 34,000 dentists and dental team members at more than 2,000 sites across the country will take time from their practice to help underserved children who aren’t getting the oral health care they need.

The Columbia University/Children’s Aid Society Mobile Dental Center brings comprehensive diagnostic, preventive and restorative dental care to children in northern Manhattan through collaborations with CHS 2010, Head Start, and other daycare and elementary pre-school programs. The two chair dental center delivers services like oral examinations, fluoride treatments, teeth cleaning and tooth brushing instruction directly at program sites. If necessary, children also receive additional oral care services such as x-rays, fillings and sealants. The CHS 2010-sponsored mobile dental vehicle also participates in selected local health and community events throughout the year.

The Community DentCare Network is a collaboration between the Columbia University School of Dental & Oral Surgery, Harlem Hospital Dental Service and community-based groups in the Washington Heights/Inwood and Harlem communities. The network delivers preventive, primary and secondary dental care at school-based clinics and through various community partnerships.

ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF DENTAL AND ORAL SURGERY AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
The School of Dental and Oral Surgery (SDOS) at Columbia University, founded in 1917, is located in northern Manhattan.  In addition to providing education programs for pre- and post-doctoral candidates, SDOS conducts research in state-of-the-art facilities and oversees an extensive community-based service program for residents in the surrounding community – a Federally designated medical and dental manpower shortage area.  Outreach into the community includes dental programs in six area public schools, a dental van, and five off-site community-based dental clinics, providing a rich learning environment for students at SDOS.

ABOUT THE CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY
The Children’s Aid Society was founded in 1853. It is one of the nation’s oldest and largest non-sectarian agencies, serving 150,000 of New York’s neediest children and their families with a network of services that include community schools, neighborhood centers, camps, adoption and foster care services, teen pregnancy prevention, education, health and recreation. For additional information, please visit www.childrensaidsociety.org

ABOUT CREST HEALTHY SMILES 2010
Crest Healthy Smiles 2010 is proud to be the national sponsor of the American Dental Association’s Give Kids a Smile program. As the only consumer products sponsor of the national access day, Crest has donated more than 460,000 dental kits which include Crest toothpaste, toothbrushes and educational materials. In total, Crest Healthy Smiles 2010 will provide dental kits to over 900 Give Kids a Smile professional programs including over 200 dental societies.

Crest Healthy Smiles 2010 and the ADA share a common mission to increase access to affordable dental care to underserved communities in an effort to improve the oral health of children in need. Based on the principle that good oral health is integral to overall health, Crest Healthy Smiles 2010 combines the passionate vision of Crest with the resources of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and other leading members of the dental community to affect real change in the state of the country’s oral health by 2010. Crest is also working with dental schools and local communities to sponsor mobile dental clinics that bring dental support to areas in need, as well as building upon its 40-year tradition of broad-based in-school health education programs which reach 90 percent of first graders. The program will reach more than 50 million children and their families over the next ten years.

A trusted leader in oral health, Crest was the first oral care brand to secure the ADA Seal of Acceptance for a clinically proven fluoride toothpaste, a major preventer of cavities. Since first introducing fluoride toothpaste 40 years ago, it is estimated that Crest has helped prevent more than half a billion cavities in the United States. In addition, Crest created Crest Healthy Smiles 2010, a national outreach program designed to help improve the state of oral health in America. By providing education, tools, and increased access to dental professionals, Crest hopes to reach 50 million children and their families. Headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, Crest is owned and distributed by Procter & Gamble.

ABOUT THE ADA
The American Dental Association (ADA) is the nation's oldest national dental association, representing more than 140,000 members. It advocates for the public's health and promotes the art and science of dentistry.