08 LC 34
1550
Senate
Resolution 807
By:
Senator Thomas of the 2nd
A
RESOLUTION
Commending
the Savannah Community Church and the Give Kids A Smile program in Savannah for
increasing community awareness of the importance of oral hygiene; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
with each passing year, science uncovers more evidence of the critical
importance of oral health to overall health; and
WHEREAS,
early diagnosis, preventive treatments, and early intervention can prevent or
halt the progress of most oral diseases, which, if left untreated, can have
painful, disfiguring, and lasting negative health consequences; and
WHEREAS,
nearly half of children from ages two through nine suffer from untreated tooth
decay; and
WHEREAS,
in Chatham County, only 41.5 percent of children enrolled in Medicaid received
any dental service in 2005, and that means 41,677 children did not receive any
dental care; and
WHEREAS,
on February 23, 2008, local dentists have teamed up with Savannah Community
Church to provide free dental screenings to children in the community and to
provide a day of fun, education, and inspiration; and
WHEREAS,
this event, Give Kids A Smile, is held annually to provide free dental services
to local, qualifying children from low-income families; to raise awareness of
the epidemic of untreated dental disease occurring in Savannah and across the
country; and to raise awareness of the need to build local public and private
partnerships to increase access to oral health care to help solve this
crisis.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body commend
the Savannah Community Church and local dentists for working to make Give Kids A
Smile the great community health and awareness program that it is and wish them
continuing success in building and promoting this program.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Savannah Community Church
and to Rolando Cooper, Chairperson for Give Kids A Smile, Savannah.