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Delta Dental Foundation commits $25,000 grant to help students visit Cincinnati Museum Center

CINCINNATI – Delta Dental Foundation is helping students brush up on proper oral health by funding field trips to Cincinnati Museum Center’s Inside the Grin exhibit. After helping over 2,300 students visit the exhibit in 2016, Delta Dental is providing grant funding of $25,000 to once again cover admission to the exhibit and transportation to CMC for the students. Field trip funding applications opened October 2.

The Inside the Grin exhibit is a permanent addition to CMC’s Duke Energy Children’s Museum . The exhibit is the centerpiece of the Junior League of Cincinnati’s GrinUp! Initiative, which seeks to improve oral healthcare in children. The exhibit was funded, in part, by a $55,000 grant from the Delta Dental Foundation. Through that initial funding, plus the recent grants for school field trips, Delta Dental has provided over $100,000 to support greater oral health education.

“We are proud to partner with Cincinnati Museum Center and their Duke Energy Children’s Museum in order to give thousands of children an outlet to learn about oral health in a fun and enriching setting,” said Teri Battaglieri, director for the Delta Dental Foundation.

Delta Dental Foundation’s commitment to childhood oral healthcare provides students and schools the opportunity to visit an exhibit unlike any other in the nation to learn the importance of proper oral health in a fun, whimsical way. Schools within the Cincinnati Public Schools system where 60 percent or more of students are eligible for free and reduced price lunch in kindergarten through fourth grade are eligible to apply for funding. Eligible schools can visit cincymuseum.org/educators/resources to apply.

“The Delta Dental Foundation’s incredible generosity has empowered so many children to learn more about proper oral healthcare, enriching their minds and their bodies,” says Elizabeth Pierce, president and CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center. “We are so grateful they have expanded access to Inside the Grin as we work to fill the city with happy, healthy smiles.”

Tooth decay is the leading chronic infectious disease in children. More than 40% of children nationwide experience dental decay by kindergarten. In Ohio, dental care remains the greatest unmet healthcare need for children, regardless of income. Locally, in Cincinnati Public Schools, one out of every ten children has visible tooth decay.

“Good oral health is closely linked to overall health. That’s why teaching children at an early age about taking care of their teeth and mouths is so important,” Battaglieri said.

Inside the Grin allows children to literally climb inside the mouth to explore and learn how to establish healthy dental habits at home. The exhibit features a full set of enormous, anatomically-correct teeth. Children can use giant floss and a massive toothbrush to practice proper flossing and brushing techniques, learning healthy habits through play. The inside of the mouth is modeled after a dentist’s office, complete with a reclining dentist’s chair, child-safe dental instruments and interactive videos. Through education, Inside the Grin can help reduce dental decay in children by teaching proper oral health habits.

The GrinUp! Initiative and the Inside the Grin exhibit are supported by Crest, Oral-B, the Delta Dental Foundation, Oral Health America, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the Junior League of Cincinnati, Landor & Associates and Cincinnati Museum Centre.

For more information, visit www.cincymuseum.org