Bright Smiles, Bright Futures: Colgate and the NDA: helping to put good oral health within every child's reach

Ebony, August, 2005

When your goal is to provide 100 million children with free dental screenings, treatment referrals and oral health education by the year 2010, every day is a new opportunity to spread the message of good oral health.

Colgate-Palmolive Company--and the National Dental Association (NDA)--continue to lead the effort to promote better children's oral hygiene and dental care with their Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program.

A Commitment to Promoting Oral Health

Bright Smiles, Bright Futures has been wildly successful at providing the resources, personnel and access to care that are essential to good oral health. No wonder legends like actor Richard Roundtree and superstar athletes, including tennis sensation Venus Williams, NFL star Clinton Portis, and NBA standouts Malik Rose and Luke Walton have lent their support to the program. The result: increased education, awareness and access to dental care for millions of American children.

This past summer, hundreds of children took part in a Bright Smiles, Bright Futures-sponsored initiative to establish and reinforce proper dental health habits. With NBA stars Malik Rose and Luke Walton cheering them on, the children boarded Colgate Mobile Dental Vans for free screenings and treatment referrals performed by NDA professional volunteers.

In October of 2004, Bright Smiles, Bright Futures made its way to Orlando for the American Dental Association's annual conference. That's where tennis superstar Venus Williams promoted oral health literacy and good oral health habits by reading Dr Rabbit's World Tour, a Bright Smiles, Bright Futures book for children.

February of 2005 saw Colgate and the NDA kick off National Children's Dental Health Month with the dedication of a new mobile dental van. One of a fleet of seven, this van will go a long way to help bring better oral health to children and families of the Washington, DC metro area. On hand to celebrate the event was U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona; Dr. Marsha Butler, Colgate's Vice President, Global Oral Health and Professional Relations; Washington Redskins' running back Clinton Portis; and Robert J. Caldwell, DDS, President of the Robert T. Freeman Dental Society, an NDA affiliate.

More Bright Smiles, Bright Futures programs are planned for the summer of 2005. In fact, Colgate is already more than two-thirds of the way to their goal of reaching 100 million children with oral health education and screenings by 2010. "We've already reached 68 million children," said Dr. Butler. "Bright Smiles, Bright Futures is constantly raising the bar in terms of the impact we make on the communities we serve."

"Today, in the United States, there are over 108 million children and adults who lack dental insurance," added Dr. Aljernon Bolden, national president of the NDA. "This means there are tar too many people who are not receiving the dental care and education that is so important to maintaining good oral health. Colgate has truly demonstrated a commitment to making certain a bright smile and bright future is within every child's reach."

For more information on oral health and Bright Smiles, Bright Futures, visit www. colgatebsbf.com

Sustaining Commitment

The NDA and Colgate have contributed time, talent and funding to numerous oral health programs, including:

Scholarships and Grants:

Since 1990, 1,900 scholarships valued at more than $2.3 million have been awarded to help increase the pool of African-American dental professionals in the United States. The $10,000 Annie Elizabeth "Bessie" Delaney Scholarship is one of many annual awards. It is presented in honor of the second black female dentist licensed in New York City.

Research and Training:

Over the last 15 years, the NDA and Colgate have committed multimillion-dollar grants for training and research programs at the Howard University College of Dentistry and the Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry.

New Initiatives:

Recognizing the devastating effect that diabetes has on millions of African-Americans, the NDA and Colgate are partnering to help NDA members provide oral health education and treatment specific to diabetic patients.

About the NDA and Colgate-Palmolive Company

Established 92 years ago, the NDA is the world's first and largest organization of minority oral health professionals. Representing more than 7,000 African-American dentists in the U.S. and abroad, the NDA's mission is to continually enhance the skills of its members, recruit under-represented minorities into the profession and create opportunities for research among its members and their communities. The NDA is dedicated to elevating the health status of the underserved by serving as an advocate in the public arena and private sector in order to increase their access to care.

For more than a century, the Colgate-Palmolive Company has been dedicated to offering a wide range of oral healthcare products that meet individual needs and tastes. Colgate's community outreach efforts have touched the lives of millions of children, providing the information, insight and inspiration they need for a healthy start on a healthy smile.