‘Brighter Smiles Campaign’ to begin

Kemple Memorial Children’s Dental Clinic announces the kick-off of its 2014 Brighter Smiles Campaign, which runs May 1 st through June 30 th .

For the tenth year, Kemple Clinic is partnering with Central Oregon dentists to deliver the Brighter Smiles Campaign, a fundraiser that offers teeth whitening services for just $200 — a 50 percent discount.

All money raised during the two-month campaign supports the work of Kemple Clinic, a Bend-based nonprofit that provides dental care for children in Central Oregon whose oral health is at risk.

Through the Brighter Smiles Campaign, Kemple Clinic provides all whitening product to participating dentists who then donate all funds raised to Kemple Clinic’s work.

To take advantage of the discounted whitening services, interested individuals simply contact a participating dental provider and schedule their appointment before the end of June.

According to Suzanne Browning, Kemple Clinic’s Executive Director, “Through the Brighter Smiles Campaign patients can receive the professional whitening services they want, delivered by their dentist’s office. In doing so, they are providing valuable support to kids in our community who might not otherwise get the dental care they desperately need. At the end of the day, everyone has something to smile about.”

Oregon children have some of the worst oral health issues in the nation. In fact, state educators estimate that 5,000 students each day suffer from dental pain or infection, making it difficult for these children to focus on their studies and resulting in increased absenteeism.

Browning says the Brighter Smiles Campaign, which raised $35,000 last year, will ensure Central Oregon children get the dental care they need so they can be healthy, productive and happy.

For a current listing of participating dentists in this year’s Brighter Smiles campaign, please visit www.kempleclinic.com. Patients should contact their dentist and encourage them to join in the campaign, a “win-win” proposition.

About Kemple Memorial Children’s Dental Clinic

Kemple Clinic was founded in 1998 by retired dentist and long-time Bend resident, Dr. H.M. Kemple. Dr. Kemple’s mission was to eliminate pediatric oral disease. To this day, Kemple Clinic strives to support that mission by providing free, high quality, on-site and offsite dental screenings and preventative education needed to promote the oral health and overall well-being of children in our community. By the end of the school year,

Kemple will have screened more than 5,000 school children during their School-Based Screen and Seal Programs, providing nearly 10,000 parents with a written basic dental screening, reinforcing regular visits to the dentist.

Kemple’s on-site clinic also offers on-site hygiene appointments (cleanings, x-rays, risk assessments) at the clinic for underserved children in Central Oregon. If, upon assessment, acute dental treatments are necessary, Kemple Clinic works with more than 70 volunteer dentists in Central Oregon to deliver these urgent and critical dental treatment services to qualified at risk children in Central Oregon.