[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 136 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 136

  Congratulating the American Dental Association for establishing the 
 ``Give Kids a Smile'' program, emphasizing the need to improve access 
  to dental care for children, and thanking dentists for volunteering 
             their time to help provide needed dental care.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 11, 2003

 Mr. Cantor submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                  the Committee on Energy and Commerce

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                               RESOLUTION


 
  Congratulating the American Dental Association for establishing the 
 ``Give Kids a Smile'' program, emphasizing the need to improve access 
  to dental care for children, and thanking dentists for volunteering 
             their time to help provide needed dental care.

Whereas access to dental care for children is a vital element of overall health 
        care and development;
Whereas dental caries-more commonly known as tooth decay-is the most common 
        chronic childhood disease;
Whereas untreated tooth decay in children results in thousands of children 
        experiencing poor eating and sleeping patterns, suffering decreased 
        attention spans at school, and being unable to smile;
Whereas, due to a confluence of factors, children eligible for Medicaid and the 
        State Children's Health Insurance Program are three to five times more 
        likely than other children to have untreated tooth decay;
Whereas dentists provide an estimated $1.7 billion annually in nonreimbursed 
        dental care;
Whereas dentists participating in the the American Dental Association 
        established the ``Give Kids a Smile'' program to serve as a reminder to 
        the Nation about the need to end untreated childhood dental disease; and
Whereas the ``Give Kids a Smile'' program treated an estimated one million 
        children on February 21, 2003, at approximately 5000 locations in all 50 
        States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) congratulates the American Dental Association for 
        establishing the ``Give Kids a Smile'' program;
            (2) emphasizes the need to improve access to dental care 
        for children; and
            (3) thanks the thousands of dentists who volunteered their 
        time and brought a smile to faces of an estimated one million 
        children on February 21, 2003.
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