OHA concludes its 2016 #FallforSmiles oral health advocacy campaign at NYU Dentistry; NY State Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh to attend

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Twenty-six children from P.S. 142 will join the New York University College of Dentistry’s (NYU Dentistry) Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Oral Health America (OHA), and NY State Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh to learn an important lesson about keeping their smiles healthy and bright, Wednesday, September, 28, 2016, at NYU Dentistry, Weissman Building, 9th Floor, 345 E 24th Street, NYC.

All Brush-A-Thon attendees, including adults (setting a good example) will simultaneously brush their teeth for two minutes at 11:30 am—the correct amount of time that everyone should be brushing their teeth.  The program is a great opportunity to create good brushing habits at an early age and to kick start a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.  In addition to brushing, the NYU Dentistry Pediatric team has organized entertainment for the P.S. 142 students-- a dentistry-inspired magic show. OHA is providing give-away goodie bags, and there are rumors the tooth fairy herself is going to make a guest appearance!

FOR MEDIA: Press should arrive at between 10:00am-10:30am and check in at the security desk on the 24th Street side; then proceed up to the Pediatric Clinic on the 9th floor.

“The NYU College of Dentistry is very pleased to support Oral Health America's   initiative, said Dr. Amr Moursi, Professor and Chair, NYU Department of Pediatric Dentistry.  "Community outreach initiatives that serve the multicultural population of New York City are at the core of what we do here at NYU Dentistry.  We are extremely grateful for the continued support and partnership of OHA, without whom we could not provide essential health education and treatment initiatives to underserved children in New York City.”

Fall for Smiles, now in its 7th year, is focusing on the growth of ‘Grandfamilies,’ and the impact of multi-generational oral health in the household, “said President and CEO of OHA, Beth Truett.  “With Brush-a-Thons, we are creating a fun group activity, emphasizing the importance of good oral health habits, and encouraging the children to take their new knowledge back home and get everyone in the household engaged in good oral health practices on a daily basis.”

According to the U.S. Census, “...grandparents are increasingly not just relatives to be visited on holidays and weekends, but part of the year-round household for many children. Over 7.2 million grandparents, together or separated, have around 5.8 million minor grandchildren living with them. Putting it another way, 10 percent of America's children under the age of 18 live with at least one grandparent, and 2.6 million of those grandparents are responsible for the children’s' care.”

"Our community is very proud to be the home of the NYU School of Dentistry, the largest dental school in the U.S., with the only dental school-affiliated dental hygiene program in New York State," said Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh. "The School's commitment to patient care and innovation has inspired critical research programs and very effective outreach and dental health services, which can have lasting effects on the overall health of children and adults. Today's event is a great reminder of this year-round commitment--and of course a great reminder to our children that we all need to brush our teeth!"

About NYU College of Dentistry

Founded in 1865, New York University College of Dentistry is the third oldest and the largest dental school in the US, educating more than 8 percent of all dentists. NYU College of Dentistry has a significant global reach with a highly diverse student body. Visit http://dental.nyu.edu for more.

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 440,000 children annually, the Wisdom Tooth Project™, which reaches tens of thousands of older adults, and the Campaign for Oral Health Equity, which prioritize 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 www.oralhealthamerica.org.

Press Contact

Christopher James
Christopher James
(212) 998-6876