Henry Schein And Supplier Partners Join Together To Expand Access To Oral Health Care For 300,000 Children During The ADA Foundation's 14th Annual Give Kids A Smile® Day

MELVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- For the 14^th consecutive year, Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSIC), the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical practitioners, is joining 26 of its supplier partners to help expand access to oral health care for underserved children in the United States as part of the ADA Foundation's Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) program, the largest children's oral health charitable initiative in the world.

Celebrated nationally on the first Friday of each February, and with events taking place year-round, GKAS Day is the result of a public-private partnership between the ADA Foundation, Henry Schein, Colgate-Palmolive, and DEXIS. Henry Schein has served as GKAS's official professional products sponsor since the American Dental Association (ADA) launched the program in 2003 to help raise awareness of the critical need to expand access to oral health care for children in the U.S. Since the program's inception, Henry Schein, together with its supplier partners, has donated more than $14 million in oral health care products used to provide free oral health services for more than 5 million children.

This year, 300,000 underserved children will receive free oral health screenings, education and treatment at 1,500 locations across the country. Care will be delivered by nearly 40,000 dental team volunteers, including more than 10,000 dentists, using supplies from 3,000 kits of essential oral health care products donated by Henry Schein and the Company's supplier partners.

"Henry Schein's commitment to the Give Kids A Smile program grows deeper every year, and the generosity of our supplier partners strengthens our resolve to expand access to oral health care for underserved children," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein, Inc. "In recognition of the integral link between a person's oral health and their overall health, we will continue to stand with our partners in support of this program. By providing participating oral health professionals with the products needed to provide quality oral health care, we can ensure that each participating child is set on the path to a lifetime of bright and healthy smiles."

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dental caries, or cavities, are the most prevalent infectious disease in children in the U.S., affecting more than 40 percent of infants and preschoolers by the time they reach kindergarten and about half of all children from lower-income families. In addition, a study published by The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), the ADA's flagship scientific publication on dentistry, indicates that, while dental caries is a multifactorial disease with many behavioral and community determinants, children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds have a higher average incidence of tooth decay.

"We are so proud of the tremendous success of the Give Kids A Smile program," said Reneida Reyes, D.D.S., M.P.H., President, ADAF. "Over the past 14 years, it has proven to be a great example of how the dental profession—dentists, hygienists, assistants and others—can work together for a great cause. It is also a terrific model for the public-private partnership that Mr. Bergman refers to so often. We are grateful for our national sponsors, Henry Schein, Colgate, and DEXIS for all that they do to help us care for the oral health well-being of these children."

Henry Schein's supplier partners that are supporting the 2016 Give Kids A Smile program through product donations include: 3M; ACTEON Group; Ansell; Axis Dental; Centrix; Coltene/Whaledent, Inc.; Cranberry USA, Inc.; Crosstex; DASH Medical Gloves; DENTSPLY International, Inc.; DMG America; DUKAL Corporation; DUX Dental; Integra Miltex; Medicom; Microflex Corporation; Premier Dental Products Company; KaVo Kerr Group; Sempermed USA; Septodont; Sultan Healthcare; Sunstar Americas, Inc.; TIDI Products; Tuttnauer USA; Water Pik, Inc.; and Young Dental.

About the ADA Foundation 
As dentistry's premier philanthropic and charitable organization, the ADA Foundation is a catalyst for uniting people and organizations to make a difference through better oral health. The ADA Foundation provides more than $800,000 in grants, scholarships, and awards annually to programs that are in alignment with the organization's four mission pillars: Charitable Assistance, Access to Care, Research, and Education (C.A.R.E.). As part of these efforts, the ADA Foundation oversees Give Kids A Smile^® and also oversees the ADA Foundation Dr. Anthony Volpe Research Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland (formerly the Paffenbarger Research Center). For more information about the ADA Foundation, visit www.adafoundation.org.

About Henry Schein Cares
Henry Schein Cares stands on four pillars: engaging Team Schein Members to reach their potential, ensuring accountability by extending ethical business practices to all levels within Henry Schein, promoting environmental sustainability, and expanding access to health care for underserved and at-risk communities around the world. Health care activities supported by Henry Schein Cares focus on three main areas: advancing wellness, building capacity in the delivery of health care services, and assisting in emergency preparedness and relief.

Firmly rooted in a deep commitment to social responsibility and the concept of enlightened self-interest championed by Benjamin Franklin, the philosophy behind Henry Schein Cares is a vision of "doing well by doing good." Through the work of Henry Schein Cares to enhance access to care for those in need, the Company believes that it is furthering its long-term success. "Helping Health Happen Blog" is a platform for health care professionals to share their volunteer experiences delivering assistance to those in need globally. To read more about how Henry Schein Cares is making a difference, please visit our blog: www.helpinghealthhappen.org.

About Henry Schein, Inc.
Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ:HSIC) is the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical practitioners. The Company also serves dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, and other alternate care sites. A Fortune 500® Company and a member of the S&P 500® and the NASDAQ 100® indexes, Henry Schein employs more than 18,000 Team Schein Members and serves more than one million customers.

The Company offers a comprehensive selection of products and services, including value-added solutions for operating efficient practices and delivering high-quality care. Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 100,000 branded products and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 150,000 additional products available as special-order items. The Company also offers its customers exclusive, innovative technology solutions, including practice management software and e-commerce solutions, as well as a broad range of financial services.

Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein has operations or affiliates in 33 countries. The Company's sales reached a record $10.4 billion in 2014, and have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 16 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995. For more information, visit Henry Schein at www.henryschein.com, Facebook.com/HenrySchein and @HenrySchein on Twitter.

SOURCE Henry Schein, Inc.

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