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September 30, 2009 | dentalproductsreport.com Colgate reaches 100 million kids quicker than planned Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program expected to help 100 million children in October.  Children who participate not only receive free oral care, but often leave with Colgate giveaways and educational materials to help them maintain good oral health. Photo: Colgate Colgate is having to move up its party plans by about year. You see, the company was originally planning to celebrate the milestone of 100 million U.S. children being helped by Colgate’s Bright Smiles, Bright Futures education and mobile van program in 2010. But the program’s success means the milestone will be reached more quickly than planned, with the magic number expected to be reached in October. The program promotes the importance of oral health through education and prevention, and since 1991 has helped millions of children in 80 countries. In the U.S., the Colgate mobile dental vans make it possible to visit schools in urban and rural areas as well as to provide services at fairs and other special events. “Colgate’s commitment to improving children’s dental health is a part of the company’s overall values of being a caring company,” said Colgate-Palmolive’s Dawna Michelle Fields, national program manager for Colgate’s Bright Smiles, Bright Futures. “Over the years, Colgate employees have volunteered their time and services to Colgate’s Bright Smiles, Bright Futures since the community outreach effort began in 1991. Everyone is excited because they have had a hand in reaching this milestone—a year earlier than anticipated. We will have reached 100 million children and families with positive oral care messages.” The main focus of the program is to reach children in schools through videos, storybooks, sing-along-songs, computer CR-ROMs and interactive activities. These resources are designed both for educators to use in classrooms and for parents to use at home. The mobile dental vans, staffed by volunteer dentists and hygienists, allow free dental screenings to take place throughout communities in the U.S.
One of eight Colgate dental vans that provide free education, dental screenings and treatment referrals to children up to 12 years old. Photo: Stan Goff “The are eight Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures dental vans operating six to seven days a week providing free education, dental screenings and treatment referrals to children up to 12 years old,” Fields explained. “We will continue to outreach to those underserved children by partnering with schools, the dental associations, dental schools, community organizations, public health officials and governmental agencies. We realize that a positive impact can be made when individuals’ and groups’ focuses come together, and that is the main reason we were able to achieve an aggressive goal of reaching 100 million children and families.” The Colgate vans have been a staple at TeamSmile outreach programs since 2006, helping screen underserved children at a variety of sporting locations including professional football and baseball stadiums. On Aug. 1 the van was parked at the Chicago Bears training camp and volunteers helped conduct close to 100 free dental screenings inside the vehicle. Drew Barrett, Chicago team member for Colgate, was on hand helping out at the TeamSmile Bears event. The children who participated not only received free oral care, but left with Colgate backpacks that included a toothbrush, toothpaste and a Colgate football. “The main thing is to promote good oral health,” Barrett said at Bears Camp in Bourbonnais, Ill. “You don’t want kids to carry bad habits into their adulthood. That’s why we say ‘Bright Smiles, Bright Futures.’” Pointing at the side of the Colgate van, being used to screen underserved children, he said, “It says ‘A children’s oral health improvement program.’ It’s all about the children.” Tenley Hawkins of Circulation Experti, Colgate’s public relations agency, credits the support from a number of celebrities with helping the Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program excel. Colgate has hosted a number of oral health festivals and city-wide brush-a-thons, with sports and acting stars including Tiki Barber, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mario Lopez, Chris Zorich, Gary Sheffield, Venus Williams, Luke Walton and Clinton Portis. Additionally, football great Emmitt Smith took part in a skit based around the Surgeon General’s report on oral health in which Smith’s character helped rid the kingdom of the plaque monster, and Marques Colston of the New Orleans Saints helped with a Colgate event this summer that was tied into the opening of a school that was rebuilt after the original one was decimated by Hurricane Katrina. Colgate has big plans for October to celebrate this big accomplishment,
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