PARSIPPANY, N.J., Aug. 27 Trident(R), the best selling sugar-free gum brand in the world[4], is donating a portion of its proceeds during the first week in September to Smiles Across America(R) (SAA), the signature program of Oral Health America that supports dental services to thousands of children in underserved communities nationwide. Kicking off September 1 and running through September 7, Trident will donate $0.05 for every package of Trident gum purchased to SAA as part of a three-year commitment to help the organization shed light on the importance of pediatric oral health in the U.S.
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Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease in America[1], affecting almost 50 percent of second graders and almost 80 percent of 17-year-olds[2]. Untreated tooth decay and disease can affect a child's health, well-being, growth and achievement[3]. Each year, over 51 million school hours are lost as a result of problems related to tooth decay. Trident's contributions help SAA link local governments, businesses and supporters with care providers and schools to help fight untreated oral disease in children.
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"Trident has played a distinct role in oral health for over forty years, since launching as the first sugar-free gum to help fight tooth decay," said Lesya Lysyj, executive vice president, marketing, Cadbury North America. "By supporting Smiles Across America, we continue to raise awareness about the importance of access to pediatric dental care in the U.S. Now, consumers who chew Trident gum have the chance to help make a difference in the lives of millions."
Jennie Garth Spreading Smiles
As a result of the $1.5 million contribution announced late last year, Trident will more than double the number of children who currently receive oral health services and education through the SAA care provider network over the next three years. Trident's financial commitment is critical to Oral Health America's expansion of services to dental programs in need of SAA-funding such as The Children's Dental Clinic of Greater Los Angeles (TCDC). Actress and mom of three, Jennie Garth has also lent her voice to the partnership leading oral health educational workshops with children in New York as well as at TCDC in Los Angeles.
"We are very pleased to welcome The Children's Dental Center of Greater Los Angeles to our family of care providers," said Beth Truett, president and CEO of Oral Health America. "Through our combined efforts, we can raise public awareness about the importance of oral health and proactively provide education and services to those who need it most."
Thanks to contributions from supporters, like Trident, SAA provides its network with the funding and technical assistance in the areas of communication and coalition building that enables them to reach more underserved and uninsured children and address barriers to care-lack of resources and transportation, low literacy and language diversity. To learn more about the Trident and Smiles Across America partnership and the September donation week, visit www.TridentCares4Kids.org.
About Trident(R) Sugar-Free Gum
Trident gum has long been a pioneer in providing oral health benefits to consumers. Trident was the first gum brand of its kind to undergo extensive long-term clinical testing in 1967 with studies showing that people who chewed Trident experienced significantly fewer cavities. Most recently, the brand introduced Trident Xtra Care((TM)) with Recaldent(R), a great tasting sugar free gum that delivers superior strengthening power versus regular sugar-free chewing gum. Today, Trident is the best selling chewing gum and sugar-free gum in the world[4], and recent studies show that the brand continues to be recommended by four out of five dentists who recommend sugar-free gum to their patients[5].
About Smiles Across America(R) (SAA)
SAA is a signature program created by Oral Health America, the nation's leading, independent organization dedicated to eliminating oral disease through access, education and advocacy. SAA improves the oral health of elementary school students who lack access to routine dental care by supporting oral disease prevention services in school-based or school-linked settings, and demonstrating to communities that oral health is integral to overall health. For more information, visit http://www.oralhealthamerica.org/smiles.html.
About The Children's Dental Center of Greater Los Angeles
The Children's Dental Center (TCDC) of Greater Los Angeles is a non-profit, 501c(3) organization and comprehensive oral health care center focused on addressing the unmet oral health needs of its community. Its mission is to eliminate dental disease, and promote overall health and well-being by providing a dental home with the best-integrated programs of preventive, educational and treatment solutions for the growing number of dentally underserved children and their caregivers in Greater Los Angeles. The state-of-the-art center primarily assists youth ages 6 months to 22 years of age and was founded in 1995 by former Inglewood resident Dr. Cherilyn Sheets, who is a private practitioner in Newport Beach, CA. For more information, visit www.tcdc.org.
About Cadbury North America
Headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, Cadbury North America is the Canadian and U.S. combined business unit of Cadbury plc (NYSE: CBY) - a leading global confectionery business with number one or number two positions in over 20 of the world's 50 largest confectionery markets.
In the United States, the brand portfolio of Cadbury includes some of the best-loved confections in the US, including Trident(R), Dentyne(R), Halls(R), Bubblicious(R), Sour Patch(R), Swedish Fish(R), Chiclets(R), Certs(R) and Stride(R), The Ridiculously Long Lasting Gum(R) and Green & Black's(R) organic chocolate. Our people create brands people love with passion, dedication and drive.
For more information visit www.cadbury.com.
[1] Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General, May 2000 [2] National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III [3] Stephen A. Martin, Jr., Ph.D., M.P.H., chief operating officer of the Cook County Department of Public Health [4] 2007 Euromonitor [5] Data on file
SOURCE Cadbury North America
