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f DT page 1A DENTAL TRIBUNE | June 2010 News 3A sive pediatric oral health services and eliminating this preventable disease from future generations. NCOHF draws on vast national resources to secure and distribute product and financial donations along with innovative preventive programs to a growing network of not-for- profit university- and community- based dental clinics, health centers and mobile programs throughout the United States. Christian J. Drake, chief operating officer of NCOHF, told Dental Tri- bune that the exposure in The Wall Street Journal, which appeared in the paper’s Eastern edition on June 19, helped shed light among members of the public at large about the silent epidemic. “It is also tremendously valuable to our work to help break the cycle of its devastating effects through sup- porting our national network of affili- ates, which provide vital prevention, education and treatment services,” Drake said. Since 2006, NCOHF has distrib- uted more than $6.5 million in direct funding, donated dental products and technical resources to the affili- ate network to expand and enhance critical oral health services for their local communities. In only four years, NCOHF affiliates have provided criti- cal preventive, restorative and edu- cational oral health services to more than 1 million children. The 10-year plan for the NCOHF affiliate network includes treating more than 5 million children through more than 500 centers throughout the United States and to begin providing global support to developing nations. In addition, NCOHF aims to edu- cate and screen more than 20 million children through schools, communi- ty events and ongoing, community- based prevention activities. Corporate donations The NCOHF recently announced it has received dental product dona- tions from two of the largest dental products manufacturers in the United States. Sybron Dental Specialties has donated dental products valued at more than $39,000 to NCOHF to pro- vide vital dental treatment for children from vulnerable populations. The Children’s Dental Center of Greater Los Angeles (TCDC), a member of the NCOHF affiliate network, received the donation of dental products to expand and enhance oral health services for underserved pediatric patients in the Los Angeles area. Like all community-based health- care centers in the NCOHF affili- ate network, the goal at TCDC is to improve the oral health of local families through comprehensive oral health programs and services that promote positive health behaviors and treat the immediate oral health care needs of underserved children. Dan Even, president of Sybron and past chairman of NCOHF, said: “As an NCOHF founding underwriter, Sybron is proud to support NCOHF life-changing oral health programs for underserved children. NCOHF affiliates across the country continue to show impressive results in their efforts to provide quality, comprehen- sive care to the children who need it most.” “We are extremely grateful to Syb- ron Dental Specialties for their gener- ous product donation to our affiliate partner, The Children’s Dental Cen- ter,” said Fern Ingber, NCOHF presi- dent and CEO. “Sybron provided the leadership gift to establish NCOHF and continues to be a dedicated part- ner in our mission to eliminate chil- dren’s suffering from preventable pediatric dental disease.” In addition, DENTSPLY Interna- tional donated dental products valued at more than $163,000 to NCOHF in 2009 to provide vital dental treatment for underserved children across the country. Twenty-two NCOHF affiliate nonprofit oral health care centers received donated dental products throughout the year from DENTSPLY Internationa. Christopher Clark, president and chief operating officer of DENTSPLY, said: “DENTSPLY is proud to serve as a longstanding partner for the NCOHF affiliate network, providing both financial and product support. “NCOHF programs for under- served children meet the goals of DENTSPLY’s corporate philanthropy by improving dental prevention, edu- cation and access to care in our most vulnerable children. Only by working together can we eliminate the oral health crisis plaguing our nation.” “We are very grateful that DENTS- AD PLY has been a dedicated NCOHF underwriting partner since our founding in 2006,” Ingber said. “The continued generosity of DENTSPLY, through product donations as well as financial and technical support, has played a significant role in our affiliates’ ability to reach more than 1 million children with prevention, education and treatment services that give them hope for a pain-free and bright future.” Thanks to generous corporate underwriters such as Sybron, DENT- SPLY and many others, 100 percent of all contributions to America’s Toothfairy go directly to fund life- changing oral health care for the children in the United States who need it most. More information about NCOHF is available online at www.ncohf.org. DT