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| Recognizing Give Kids a Smile Day in Ohio, February 7, 2014. |
| WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the 130th General Assembly of Ohio are pleased to recognize February 7, 2014, as Give Kids a Smile Day in Ohio; and |
| WHEREAS, Children with poor oral hygiene are more likely to suffer from problems that can affect their performance or attendance in school and can lead to future health issues, such as heart and lung diseases, stroke, and diabetes. According to the Ohio Department of Health, twenty-six percent of third-grade students from low-income families in Ohio have untreated cavities, and dental care is the top unmet healthcare need for low-income adults and children. In Ohio, approximately four million people do not have dental insurance coverage, and children of low-income, minority, or Appalachian households are the most likely to lack the access to and ability to pay for dental care, which contributes greatly to poor oral health; and |
| WHEREAS, The Give Kids a Smile program was created by the American Dental Association in 2003, and for the twelfth consecutive year, the Ohio Dental Association, in conjunction with the Akron Dental Society, the Leggett Community Learning Center, and other partners, is sponsoring and organizing Give Kids a Smile Day to educate the public about proper dental care and to provide dental services to needy children. In addition, GKAS strives to call the attention of policy makers to the ongoing challenges that low-income, minority, or Appalachian children face in accessing dental care; and |
| WHEREAS, Dentists throughout Ohio are concerned about the growing risk of unsatisfactory oral hygiene among our state's children. During Give Kids a Smile Day, various dental organizations, colleges, societies, and private practices will work to provide millions of dollars in free educational activities and oral health care to thousands of children, enhancing the overall wellness of the young people who represent our future; therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That we, the members of the House of Representatives of the 130th General Assembly of Ohio, in adopting this Resolution, recognize February 7, 2014, as Give Kids a Smile Day in Ohio; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives transmit duly authenticated copies of this Resolution to the American Dental Association, the Ohio Dental Association, the Akron Dental Society, and the news media of Ohio. |