Dental News - Midwinter Meeting is warmed by ‘Celebration of Smiles’

Robert Selleck, DTA

Thu. 26 February 2015

save

CHICAGO, Ill., USA: Supporters, principals and beneficiaries of National Children’s Oral Health Foundation: America’s ToothFairy (NCOHF) gathered Thursday evening at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place during the Midwinter Meeting to celebrate a year of successes with the organization’s mission, which is “To eliminate children’s preventable pain and suffering from pediatric dental disease.”

Henk van Duijnhoven, a senior vice president at KaVo Kerr Group and the 2015 chairman of NCOHF, noted in his opening remarks that the organization had raised more than $14 million since its founding nearly 10 years ago. He said the foundation helped nearly 2 million underserved children and their caregivers in 2014. He then presented an ambitious goal of increasing that number to 3 million to mark the organization’s 10th anniversary year. He urged attendees to “Think about what action you can take to help move this great cause forward.”

NCHOF board member and longtime supporter Gordon Christensen, DDS, said that unlike many cause-related organizations, NCHOF directs all contributions directly to those being served. “I don’t know of any greater organization,” he said, encouraging attendees to find more opportunities to “Do good — and do well.”

The comment was an appropriate lead-in to later remarks by NCOHF President and CEO Fern Ingber, who provided details about an evolving cause-marketing programming that enables qualifying corporations to more closely link sales of certain products or services to NCOHF support via underwriting agreements tied directly to sales volume.

Ingber also ran through a list of new relationships the organization had entered to increase its reach. “We’re looking for partners not only in the dental community, but in all segments of society,” she said.

Toward that end, perhaps the biggest announcement was formalization of NCOHF collaboration with the U.S. Dept. of Defense, with efforts concentrated within boys and girls clubs on military bases. Other new partnerships include the National Association of School Nurses, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the American Pharmacist Association and the International Dental Hygienists Association.

Also represented at the event was Students United with America’s ToothFairy, which has chapters in high schools and colleges throughout the country. Lauren Kuhn, a second-year dental student at Harvard Dental School, has been involved with the Harvard University Dental Students United with America’s ToothFairy the entire time she has been at the school. She also happens to be Miss Massachusetts, and she helped promote the evening’s theme with a live performance of “You’re Never Really Dressed Without A Smile,” from the Broadway musical “Annie.”

Emphasizing how committed the student organizations are to the cause, she encouraged attendees to join her in a pledge to ensure no child in need of oral health care is forced to go without. “Not on our watch,” she encouraged everyone to proclaim with her.

To post a reply please login or register

Fern Ingber to be recognized at annual Celebration of Smiles

Fern Ingber, president emeritus of America’s ToothFairy: National Children’s Oral Health Foundation, will be recognized for her dedication and ...

America’s ToothFairy holds its annual Celebration of Smiles event

CHICAGO, Ill., USA: Thanks to the generosity of corporate sponsors, volunteer treatment provided by individual care providers and organizational support ...

Registration for 2024 Midwinter Meeting is now open

CHICAGO, US: The Chicago Dental Society (CDS) has recently announced that registration for the 2024 Midwinter Meeting is now open. The premier dental ...

2021 Midwinter Meeting is going virtual

CHICAGO, U.S.: The Chicago Dental Society announced in an email today (Aug. 27, 2020) that the 2021 edition of its annual meeting will be conducted entirely...

Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting kicks off today

CHICAGO, US: The Chicago Dental Society (CDS) Midwinter Meeting is a premier dental event renowned for attracting tens of thousands of dental professionals ...

A buzz of activity: Chicago Midwinter Meeting kicks off three days of non-stop action

Even if the weather is frightful, it sure is delightful inside the McCormick Plaza West as the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting continues in ...

Meeting review: 2019 Midwinter Meeting in Chicago

CHICAGO, U.S,: The Chicago Dental Society held its 2019 Midwinter Meeting from Feb. 21 to 23 at McCormick Place West. The event featured more than 600 ...

Meeting review: 2018 Midwinter Meeting in Chicago

CHICAGO, Ill., USA: The Chicago Dental Society’s 2018 Midwinter Meeting was held Feb 22 to 24, and whether you came for the deals and stayed for the ...

Meeting review: 2016 Midwinter Meeting in Chicago

CHICAGO, Ill., USA: Just wandering around the exhibit hall to marvel at the offerings was enough to earn you C.E. credit at the Midwinter Meeting. But it ...