Senate Concurrent Resolution 605

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE MISSISSIPPI DENTAL ASSOCIATION AND THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY FOR SPONSORING THE SECOND ANNUAL AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION'S "GIVE KIDS A SMILE" PROGRAM WHICH EMPHASIZES THE NEED TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO DENTAL CARE FOR ALL CHILDREN, AND THANKING THE DENTISTS OF THE MISSISSIPPI DENTAL ASSOCIATION AND OTHER VOLUNTEERS FOR DONATING THEIR TIME AND ABILITIES TO PROVIDE DENTAL CARE TO UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN OF MISSISSIPPI.

WHEREAS, access to dental care for children is vital to the overall health and development of children; and

WHEREAS, tooth decay is the most chronic childhood disease; and

WHEREAS, when tooth decay goes untreated, thousands of children experience poor eating habits, miss days in school, suffer decreased attention when attending school and are unable to smile; and

WHEREAS, a vast majority of children who are considered underprivileged and eligible for Mississippi Medicaid and the Mississippi State Children's Health Insurance Program are three to five times more likely to suffer from untreated tooth decay as compared to other children; and

WHEREAS, the participation of Mississippi Dental Association dentists and other volunteers in the second annual "Give Kids a Smile" program, established and sponsored by the American Dental Association and held this year on February 6, 2004, serves to remind people in Mississippi and the United States about the need to end untreated childhood dental disease; and

WHEREAS, the dentists of the Mississippi Dental Association provided dental treatment for more than 1,297 Mississippi school-aged children in this 2004 "Give Kids a Smile" initiative; and

WHEREAS, the generous support of many individuals, groups and corporations, including the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry, the Mississippi Dental Association, Crest Health Smiles 2010, Sullivan Schein Dental, the UMC School of Health Related Professions Department of Dental Hygiene, the Mississippi State Department of Health, the UMC-ACT Tobacco Education Resource Center, the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation, Troop 257 of the Girl Scouts of America, Captek Precious Metals, Winstead Dental Laboratory and Patterson Dental Supply made this year's "Give Kids a Smile" program successful:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That the Mississippi Legislature hereby commends and congratulates the Mississippi Dental Association for its efforts in the "Give Kids a Smile" program, emphasizes the need to improve access to dental health care for children, and thanks the many health care professionals and others who volunteered their time and abilities to bring a smile to the faces of hundreds of Mississippi school-aged children during "Give Kids a Smile" day.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Legislature hereby extends its thanks to the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry, UMC School of Health Related Professions Department of Dental Hygiene, Crest Healthy Smiles 2010, Sullivan Schein Dental, Mississippi State Department of Health, the UMC-ACT Tobacco Education Resource Center, the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation, Troop 257 of the Girl Scouts of America, Captek Precious Metals, Winstead Dental Laboratory and Patterson Dental Supply for their part in making the program successful.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be forwarded to the Dean of the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry and the President of the Mississippi Dental Association, and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.