Managed Care Weekly Digest via NewsEdge :

2009 MAR 23 - (NewsRx.com) -- In Kentucky, nearly one out of every two of the state's children are enrolled in Medicaid, but barely a quarter of the dentists accept the insurance; therefore families on Medicaid are left with few options when it comes to seeing a dentist or receiving dental care (see also Medicare and Medicaid).

In an effort to assist, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, manufacturer of Aquafresh(R) and Sensodyne(R), has donated 10,000 toothbrushes and 30,000 tubes of toothpaste. Polident(R), another brand in GSK's oral care portfolio, has also contributed a generous amount of Polident Partials for use in cleaning partial dentures as well as Polident Dentu-Gel Denture Toothpaste.

According to Colin Mackenzie, Vice President of Oral Care at GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, "This donation of Aquafresh, Sensodyne, and Polident is one example of how we can support GSK's commitment of providing greater access to quality products and building trust in the community."

Dr. Edwin Smith, D.M.D. and his team at Kids First Dental Care are working to address the serious gap for children's oral care in Kentucky which was brought to the national spotlight during a special entitled "A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains," which aired on ABC's 20'20 last month.

Dr. Smith says he is thrilled by GlaxoSmithKline's donation, "This donation from GSK is one of the most generous we have received. These oral care products will be put to good use because we can actually get them directly into the hands of the children who need them the most."

Kids First Dental Care was formed in 2004 when Dr. Smith collaborated with local school personnel to explore ways to provide dental care to school children. Agreeing that the best way to gain access for children was to take the care directly to them in school, he purchased a used CAT scan trailer and outfitted it with used dental equipment. This was the beginning of Kids First Dental Care, a unique school-based dental program designed to improve access to dental care, particularly among low-income children.

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare has made a pledge to provide additional support to Kids First Dental Care, further assisting them in their efforts to provide access to comprehensive dental treatment for the children in Kentucky.

To learn more about Kids First Dental Care, visit their website at www.kidsfirstdental.org

<<Managed Care Weekly Digest -- 03/20/09>>