The American Dental Association Foundation (ADAF) has announced a $300,000 grant -- to be issued in annual installments of $100,000 -- to fund oral health summits and other educational ventures for pediatricians.
At the summits, pediatricians will learn to conduct oral health risk assessments and teach families about oral health and prevention. All 66 chapters of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) will get the opportunity to send representatives, who will then lead training programs in their home state. Also, the grant will fund a preceptorship program for pediatricians in underserved areas.
"We're grateful to the ADA Foundation for recognizing the importance of the role pediatricians can play in maintaining the oral health of young children," said Renee Jenkins, M.D., F.A.A.P., president of AAP, in a press release. "By arming pediatricians with the tools they need to assess oral health risk, we can begin to reduce the number of children who need but don't receive dental care and build a solid foundation for their oral health."
"The ADA Foundation is excited about this grant's potential to broaden the reach of oral health messages to parents," said Arthur Dugoni, D.D.S., M.S., president of the ADA Foundation. "Our alliance with the American Academy of Pediatrics seeks to facilitate pediatrician and dentist collaboration at the national, state and local levels."
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