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  Shea and her sister at the York County Community Health Care Center. Photo Allison Grappone Many of us take healthy teeth and gums for granted. We brush, floss, and visit the dentist. But for 120 million Americans without dental insurance, keeping those pearly whites healthy isn't so easy. Consider these startling facts, taken from the 2000 U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health: • Some patients wait 12 months for an appointment at a public dental clinic.
• Dentists are retiring twice as fast as new ones start practicing, even as the U.S. population grows.
• In some public clinics, it's not unusual to see three-year-olds needing multiple root canals, extractions, and stainless steel crowns due to rampant decay.
• Most adults show signs of periodontal or gingival disease, yet a third haven't visited a dentist in the last year.
Dental Health for All™ is working to improve this situation by supporting community organizations that provide dental care to people who would otherwise go without. Your purchase of Tom’s of Maine will help us to fund community-based clinics that are working hard to fill the gaps in dental coverage and access. Here are some of the program’s results over the past few years: • 25 school- and community-based dental clinics have received grants from Tom's to increase patient capacity and improve or expand their patient services.
• Nearly 60,000 annual patient visits can now be scheduled.
• Over 238,000 tubes of free toothpaste have been given to underserved children and adults.
• The award-winning "Dental Health" episode of the
Tom's-sponsored Healthy Body, Healthy Mind consumer health series has aired more than
150 times on public television in more than 106 million households across
the country.
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