Bend children’s dental clinic launches toothbrush drive
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, and Bend’s Kemple Clinic is once again raising awareness by launching a toothbrush drive throughout Central Oregon to benefit children whose oral health is at risk.
Kemple Clinic is Central Oregon’s only nonprofit organization that provides free, high quality, on-site and offsite dental screenings and preventative education to promote the oral health and overall well-being of children in our community.
Part of Kemple Clinic’s work in the region includes providing oral care kits (toothbrush, toothpaste and floss) to children in schools, in Kemple’s facility and at community outreach events throughout the year. By partnering with local businesses, the nonprofit hopes to raise $5,000 this month, which will fund the assembly of 6,000 care kits.
As Suzanne Browning, Kemple’s Executive Director, explains, “For many children in our community, a toothbrush is a luxury. You would be surprised how many have been using the same toothbrush for years, or don’t have one at all. Through donations from local grocers, pharmacies, other businesses, and even individuals, we can ensure kids have the tools they need for healthy smiles.”
The toothbrush drive will run the entire month of February and care kits will be distributed throughout the year in communities from La Pine to Madras and everywhere in between. Last year alone, Kemple Clinic provided free dental screenings to more than 5,000 children in 20 Central Oregon schools and, as Browning says, “That’s a lot of care kits! We are grateful for donations in any amount during National Children’s Dental Health Month. Every dollar puts tooth tools in the hands of our community’s children and helps reinforce healthy habits all year long.”
For more information on Kemple Clinic or to make a donation to the toothbrush drive benefitting children in Central Oregon, visit www.kempleclinic.org and click on “Make a Donation” or contact Kemple Clinic at info@kempleclinic.com or (541) 617-1653.
About Kemple 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. Kemple also offers on-site hygiene appointments (cleanings, x-rays, risk assessments) at the clinic facility 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 children in Central Oregon.
