ADHA Teams with NCOHF for Toothfairy Campaign

Chicago–June 19, 2008–The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) is proud to announce its formal partnership with the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF) for the creation of the ADHA Toothfairy Campaign. Under the umbrella of the Dental Hygienist Toothfairy Campaign established by the NCOHF, the ADHA campaign will provide five dental hygiene schools throughout the country with the necessary funding to become NCOHF affiliates and to work with children in their community to provide them indispensable dental care and education.

Through a generous donation of $17,500 by the ADHA Institute for Oral Health, ADHA’s Toothfairy Campaign will cover the costs of providing the necessary educational curriculum materials to ensure that student dental hygienists are properly equipped to address their community’s needs.

The partnership of ADHA and NCOHF is a historic opportunity for dental hygienists nationwide to unite and participate in the process of addressing pediatric dental disease through the solutions of preventive therapy and an educational approach.

The ADHA Toothfairy campaign will be chaired by ADHA Past-presidents once they have served their term as Chair for the Institute for Oral Health. The founding chair of the ADHA Toothfairy campaign is Margaret Lappan Green, RDH, MS, Immediate Past-president of ADHA.

“I am thrilled that ADHA and the Institute for Oral Health could play such an integral role in the implementation of a wonderful campaign,” said Green. “I look forward to my tenure as the founding chair, and see this as ADHA’s opportunity to help educate and mobilize the public to respond to the ‘silent and painful epidemic’ of pediatric oral disease. Through collaboration we are committed to expanding access to pediatric oral health care and helping in the fight against the number one chronic childhood illness in America.”

Dental decay (cavities) is the most common chronic disease of childhood, affecting 50 percent of children by middle childhood and nearly 70 percent by late adolescence. Chronic gingivitis is also common among children. The mildest form of periodontal disease, gingivitis is often caused by inadequate oral hygiene which leads to plaque buildup. Fortunately, most oral diseases can be prevented.

“Dental hygiene is a community service oriented profession,” said Jean Connor, RDH, ADHA President. “The ADHA Toothfairy Campaign is an excellent way to involve those who have a deep rooted interest in helping their community. I hope that hygienists across the United States will join us in our support for this campaign.”

ADHA will begin accepting applications for the affiliate schools in early fall. For the latest information please visit www.adha.org.

ADHA is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of the more than 150,000 dental hygienists across the country. Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals, licensed in dental hygiene, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic services that support total health through the promotion of optimal oral health. For more information about ADHA, dental hygiene or the link between oral health and general health, visit http://www.adha.org.

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