Press Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Kaylyn Kendall Dines
973-972-7276
dineskd@umdnj.edu

At UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School
UMDNJ Offers Free Dental Services Through Statewide Give Kids A Smile! Campaign

1/26/05—Dental health professionals at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) are offering free preventive and emergency dental care to medically disadvantaged children under age 12 on February 2 and February 4.

UMDNJ will offer dental services at five locations on Wednesday, Feb. 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and one location on Friday, Feb. 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year, through a partnership with Special Olympics New Jersey, two sites, one in Newark the other in Trenton, have been dedicated to special needs children.

As part of National Children's Dental Health Month, the UMDNJ- New Jersey Dental School and the UMDNJ-School of Health Related Professions are collaborating with the New Jersey Dental Association for the third year to provide these oral health services. Give Kids A Smile! is part of the Children's Dental Health Month national initiative and is sponsored by the American Dental Association.

Dr. Michael Conte, assistant dean of clinical affairs at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School, said, "Give Kids A Smile! was designed to ensure access to quality dental care for every child in America, regardless of their socio-economic status. We want to educate children about the life-long benefits of developing proper oral hygiene habits. This is an opportunity for us to give children tips on daily oral hygiene and provide them with free toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss."

Dr. Carolyn Breen, professor and chair of the Department of Allied Dental Education at the UMDNJ-School of Health Related Professions, said, "In addition to serving as a Give Kids A Smile! site, we plan to continue our tradition of helping children throughout Children's Dental Health Month. In February, our Department of Allied Dental Education at the UMDNJ-School of Health Related Professions in Scotch Plains will provide complimentary oral cleanings, oral exams, and fluoride treatments to children up to age 14."

Dr. Cavan Brunsden, a pediatric dentist who is also statewide chairman of Children's Dental Health Month, said, "More than 250 dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants are volunteering their time to perform a wide range of dental services for children at nearly 20 public and private sites throughout the state. Last year, nearly 2,000 children visited 15 sites in New Jersey, with many of the children visiting UMDNJ sites."

Parents, school administrators and community group representatives must register children for this program prior to the event. To register at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School in Newark, call 973-972-3247. All children receiving care will need a signed parental consent form that requests the child's medical and dental history.

The following five sites will provide pediatric dental care on Wednesday, Feb. 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.:

UMDNJ New Jersey Dental School
110 Bergen Street, Newark
(973) 972-3247

University Dental Center at Galloway
4 East Jimmy Leeds Road, Suite 6, Galloway Twp.
(609) 652-0501

University Dental Center at Haddon Heights
506 White Horse Pike East (Route 30), Haddon Heights
(856) 547-3948

University John H. Cronin Dental Center at Northfield
235 Dolphin Avenue, Northfield
(609) 645-5814

University Dental Center at Somerdale Square
13 Somerdale Square, Somerdale
(856) 566-6969

The following UMDNJ site will only offer appointments on Friday, Feb. 4:  

UMDNJ-School of Health Related Professions
Allied Dental Education
1776 Raritan Road, Scotch Plains
(908) 889-2410

The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) comprises New Jersey's only medical schools, the state's only dental school, a nursing school, a graduate school of biomedical sciences, a school of health related professions, and a school of public health on campuses in Newark, Piscataway/New Brunswick, Camden, Stratford and Scotch Plains. It is affiliated with more than 200 health care and educational institutions throughout the state. (www.umdnj.edu)

The New Jersey Dental Association (NJDA) is the tenth largest state dental association in the U.S. Founded in 1870, the NJDA is headquartered in North Brunswick and serves and supports its nearly 4,600 members and fosters the advancement of quality, ethical oral healthcare for the public.

--January 26, 2005