IV 108th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 567 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 17, 2004 Mr. Cantor (for himself and Mr. Simpson) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Congratulating the American Dental Association for sponsoring the second annual Give Kids a Smile program which emphasizes 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 experience and suffer from untreated tooth decay; Whereas dentists provide an estimated $1.7 billion annually in non-reimbursed dental care; Whereas the participation of dentists 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 the United States about the need to end untreated childhood dental disease; Whereas the generous support of numerous corporations, such as Crest Healthy Smiles 2010, Sullivan-Schein Dental, DEXIS Digital X-ray Systems, and Ivoclar Vivadent Inc., helped make this year’s Give Kids a Smile program a success; and Whereas more than 37,000 volunteers, including more than 15,000 dentists, provided free education, screening, and care services to an estimated one million children at more than 2,500 sites in all 50 States and the District of Columbia during this year’s Give Kids a Smile program: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)congratulates the American Dental Association for establishing and continuing its sponsorship of the Give Kids a Smile program; (2)emphasizes the need to improve access to dental care for children; (3)thanks the thousands of dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and others who volunteered their time to bring a smile to the faces of an estimated one million children as part of the Give Kids a Smile program; and (4)thanks Crest Healthy Smiles 2010, Sullivan-Schein Dental, DEXIS Digital X-ray Systems, and Ivoclar Vivadent Inc. for their generous support which helped make this year’s Give Kids a Smile program a success.