Trident® and Smiles Across America® Team up to Help Promote Healthy Mouths for Apache Junction, AZ, Children

$1.5 Million Contribution from Trident® Helps Connect Smiles Across Pinal County, an Initiative of Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, to the Smiles Across America® Family

CHICAGO, Nov. 16, 2011  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Smiles Across America® (SAA), an Oral Health America program, in conjunction with Trident® gum, is pleased to welcome Smiles Across Pinal County, an initiative of A.T. Still University's Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, to the SAA network. This is part of an ongoing commitment by Oral Health America and Trident to help fight tooth decay among our nation's youth.

With the help of a $1.5 million, three-year commitment by Trident to the SAA program, Oral Health America currently supports dental services to more than 350,000 children annually in underserved communities nationwide. Together with a network of community partners, SAA and Trident are working to address the need for school-based and school-linked oral disease prevention services.

Tooth decay in children is one of the most prevalent healthcare issues (1), yet more than eight in 10 (84%) American parents don't realize this (2). In addition, 17% of parents that were recently surveyed reported that they had a child that missed at least one day of school due to dental related pain or illness (3).  

Today, with the help of Trident, SAA expanded its reach to Apache Junction, AZ. Community leaders joined Trident and SAA to bring attention to the importance of oral health for children living in Apache Junction and nationwide.

With the new partnership, Smiles Across Pinal County will provide school-based preventive oral health services to children at four Pinal County schools.  The financial commitment of Trident is critical to Oral Health America's expansion of services to school-based or school-linked dental programs in need of funding.

"We are very excited to welcome the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health's program, Smiles Across Pinal County, into the SAA family of care providers," said Beth Truett, President and CEO of Oral Health America. "By working in collaboration with Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health we can raise public awareness about the importance of oral care for good overall health, and proactively provide education and services in schools to prevent tooth decay for underserved children."

Each year, more than 51 million schools hours are lost as a result of problems related to tooth decay (4). Trident contributions help SAA link local government, businesses and supporters with care providers and schools to help fight untreated oral disease in children and prevent the loss of pivotal hours in the classroom.

"Trident is extremely supportive of this program and excited that the SAA funding ultimately sheds light on the importance of oral health care in underserved communities, " said Maurice Herrera, Sr. Director, Trident. "It is great to know the SAA funding will help the children of Pinal County receive access to oral healthcare."

Thanks to contributions from supporters like Trident, SAA provides its network with funding and technical assistance in the areas of communications and coalition building, enabling 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 SAA partnership visit www.oralhealthamerica.org

About Trident® 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.  

About Smiles Across America® (SAA)
SAA is a signature program created by Oral Health America, a national non-profit organization dedicated to changing lives by connecting communities with resources to increase access to care, education and advocacy.  SAA improves the health of elementary school students by supporting oral disease prevention services in school-based or school-linked settings, and demonstrating to communities that healthy mouths are integral to overall health.  For more information, visit http://www.oralhealthamerica.org.

ABOUT KRAFT FOODS
Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT) is a global snacks powerhouse with an unrivaled portfolio of brands people love. Proudly marketing delicious biscuits, confectionery, beverages, cheese, grocery products and convenient meals in approximately 170 countries, Kraft Foods had 2010 revenue of $49.2 billion. Twelve of the company's iconic brands – Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oreo, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Tang and Trident – generate revenue of more than $1 billion annually. On Aug. 4, 2011, Kraft Foods announced plans to divide and create two independent public companies: a high-growth global snacks business with estimated revenue of $32 billion and a high-margin North American grocery business with estimated revenue of $16 billion, based on 2010 financial results, adjusted for divestitures. The transaction will take at least 12 months to complete, during which time plans regarding the structure, management, governance and other matters will be announced. A leader in innovation, marketing, health & wellness and sustainability, Kraft Foods is a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor's 500, Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Ethibel Sustainability Index. Visit kraftfoodscompany.com and facebook.com/kraftfoodscorporate.

(1) Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General, May 2000
(2) Trident: Oral Health perception survey, June 2010
(3) Oral Health America Survey sponsored by Dental Trade Alliance & Plackers® dental flossers, 2011
(4) Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General, May 2000

SOURCE Oral Health America