The 2010 Dental Olympics are coming to Lancaster County.

To celebrate National Children’s Dental Health Month in February, St. Joseph Health Ministries is teaming up with a number of elementary schools – including Stiegel in the Manheim Central School District and Conestoga, Martic and Pequea in the Penn Manor School District – that will each host a Dental Olympics.

The first one – complete with brief opening ceremony – is 9:30 a.m. Feb. 5 at Stiegel, 3 S. Hazel St., Manheim.

The news media is encouraged to cover this or another Dental Olympics. To coordinate a school visit, contact Neal Goulet at 717-566-4541.

The Dental Olympics comprises four activities, overseen by a physical education instructor, that teach students about oral health while promoting physical fitness. The activities focus on brushing, flossing, food choices and what to expect during a visit to the dentist. For instance, “Plaque Attack” pits students – competing as dentists, teeth or plaque – in a game of freeze tag.

St. Joseph Health Ministries (www.sjhm.org) improves the health of children in need within Lancaster County. Its children’s oral health initiative, “Brush. Brush. Smile!,” has provided approximately $2 million worth of free dental care and oral health education to 23,000 children across the county.

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Kelly Altland, interim president of St. Joseph Health Ministries, said the larger new space eliminated the need for off-site storage, saving the organization money.
“Our goal is to operate as efficiently as possible and to focus our resources on what’s best for the community: improving the oral health of Lancaster County’s children and families,” Altland said.

St. Joseph Health Ministries is best known for its children’s oral health initiative, “Brush. Brush. Smile! ™” It has provided approximately $2 million worth of free dental care and oral health education to 23,000 children across Lancaster County’s 16 school districts and numerous community partners.

The hallmark of Brush. Brush. Smile!™ are its two mobile dental clinics, known as the “Brush Brush Buses,” which travel with their dental teams to see students at their schools.
St. Joseph Health Ministries (www.sjhm.org) is dedicated to improving the health of children in need within Lancaster County.

Marking National Dental Hygiene Month in October, St. Joseph Health Ministries and McDonald’s owner/operators of Lancaster County are again teaming up to promote oral health.

Starting Oct. 2, customers who purchase a “Build-A-Bear” Happy Meal at any of the 14 participating McDonald’s will receive one of two colorful flyers. One bears the headline “Toothpaste. My main squeeze” and cites the American Dental Association’s recommendation to brush at least twice daily for a healthy smile; the other, titled “Prevent grumpy teeth,” encourages daily flossing.

The stores will hand out a total of 28,000 flyers until their supplies are depleted.

“We’re grateful to the McDonald’s owner/operators in Lancaster County for helping to promote good oral health by sharing these important messages with their customers,” said Kelly Altland, interim president of St. Joseph Health Ministries. “Brushing and flossing aren’t just important for healthy teeth and gums; they are vital to overall health.”

For instance, several types of cardiovascular disease may be linked to oral health, according to MayoClinic.com, including heart disease, clogged arteries and stroke. Gum disease has been linked to premature birth. Poor oral health can make diabetes more difficult to control.

“Providing healthy choices is important to McDonald’s,“ said Dan Kraft, McDonald’s owner/operator in the Lancaster area. “By partnering with St. Joseph Health Ministries, we can help our customers and their families to make better choices related to their oral health.”

The participating McDonald’s are at:

• 1434 Manheim Pike, Lancaster;
• 301 Willow Valley Square, South Lancaster;
• 140 N. Reading Road, Ephrata;
• 1755 Columbia Ave., Lancaster;
• 711 Lancaster Road, Manheim;
• 311 Centerville Road, Lancaster;
• 990 Lititz Pike, Lititz;
• 68 East Towne Mall, Lancaster;
• 2034 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster;
• 1880 Hempstead Road, Lancaster;
• 1829 Oregon Pike, Lancaster;
• 575 N. Franklin St., Lancaster;
• 210 W. King St., Lancaster;
• and 1295 Millersville Pike (Manor Shopping Center), Lancaster.

St. Joseph Health Ministries, through its “Brush. Brush. Smile!®” children’s oral health program, has provided approximately $2 million worth of free dental care and oral health education to 23,000 children across Lancaster County’s 16 school districts and numerous community partners.

The hallmark of Brush. Brush. Smile!® are its two mobile dental clinics, known as the “Brush Brush Buses,” which travel with their dental teams to see students at their schools.

St. Joseph Health Ministries (www.sjhm.org) is dedicated to improving the health of children in need within Lancaster County.

LANCASTER, Pa. (June 8, 2009) – “Power of a Smile Week” is coming to Lancaster County June 14-20.

What to wear? A smile, of course, and a free collectible Power of a Smile button courtesy of the nonprofit St. Joseph Health Ministries. The 2-inch buttons will be available at all Lancaster County public libraries and select other locations beginning Friday (June 12), while supplies last.

The blue-with-white buttons feature a smiling tooth and St. Joseph Health Ministries’ Web address, www.sjhm.org. Visitors to the Web site will find easy-to-use information to improve oral health. The site includes a children’s activity book and a 30-day brushing and flossing chart, each of which can be downloaded at no cost.

Power of a Smile Week complements St. Joseph Health Ministries’ children’s oral health initiative, “Brush. Brush. Smile!®” Since its debut in 2004, Brush. Brush. Smile!® has provided nearly $2.5 million worth of free dental care and oral health education to more than 16,000 children in Lancaster County’s 16 school districts.

“Power of a Smile Week is another way for St. Joseph Health Ministries to draw attention to the importance of oral health, for children and adults alike,” said Jennifer Thompson, president and CEO of St. Joseph Health Ministries. “If the eyes are the window to the soul, then the teeth are the window to overall health.”

For instance, several types of cardiovascular disease may be linked to oral health, according to MayoClinic.com, including heart disease, clogged arteries and stroke. Gum disease has been linked to premature birth. Poor oral health can make diabetes more difficult to control.

St. Joseph Health Ministries (www.sjhm.org) improves the health of children in need within Lancaster County.

The Starfish Awards recognize individuals and organizations that make a positive contribution toward St. Joseph Health Ministries’ overall mission.
The award program borrows its name from Loren Eiseley’s “The Star Thrower.” In the essay, a boy shrugs off the daunting task of saving hundreds of starfish washed up on a beach. He throws one starfish into the surf and pronounces, “I made a difference for that one.”

Dr. Michael Eckhart accepted the award on behalf of Conestoga Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, which participates in St. Joseph Health Ministries’ “Brush. Brush. Smile!®” children’s oral health program.

“The doctors at Conestoga Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery chose healthcare to provide services to people in need,” he said. “We all live in Lancaster County and a have a strong sense of family and community. We recognize our obligation to fulfill the needs of our fellow members of the community.”

Brush. Brush. Smile!®‘s two 40-foot mobile dental clinics – each known as the “Brush Brush Bus” – provide free dental care to economically disadvantaged children throughout Lancaster County.

Since its debut in fall 2004, Brush. Brush. Smile!® has provided nearly $2.5 million worth of free dental care and oral health education to more than 16,000 children in 16 school districts.

St. Joseph Health Ministries (www.sjhm.org) is dedicated to improving the health of children in need within Lancaster County.

LANCASTER, Pa. (March 10, 2009) – St. Joseph Health Ministries has named Susan Scott director of operations for the nonprofit organization.

A native and resident of Manheim Township, Scott brings 35 years in private and public health dentistry to St. Joseph Health Ministries, which operates the children’s oral health program, “Brush. Brush. Smile!®”

Most recently, Scott was regional deployment manager in Harrisburg for Prematics Inc., a provider of information technology services. Before that, she was practice administrator for Conestoga Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Ltd., Lancaster.

Scott has an associate’s degree in dental hygiene from the University of Pennsylvania, a bachelor’s degree in economics from Towson State University, and a master’s degree in health administration from Towson University.
Since its debut in fall 2004, Brush. Brush. Smile!® has provided nearly $2.5 million worth of free dental care and oral health education to more than 16,000 children in 16 school districts.

St. Joseph Health Ministries (www.sjhm.org) improves the health of children in need within Lancaster County.

Lancaster-based Eastern Life & Health’s $15,000 contribution represents the first full-year corporate sponsorship in the history of St. Joseph Health Ministries, which was formed in 2000.

Brush. Brush. Smile!®, a program of St. Joseph Health Ministries, has provided nearly $2.5 million worth of free dental care and oral health education to more than 16,000 children in Lancaster County’s 16 school districts. The hallmarks of Brush. Brush. Smile!® are its two mobile dental clinics, each known as the “Brush Brush Bus,” whose full-time dental staffs travel to see students at their schools.

“As a provider of dental insurance, Eastern Life & Health knows first-hand how important oral health is to one’s overall health and well-being,” said Bruce Eckert, chief executive officer of Eastern Life & Health’s parent company, Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc. “We are honored to partner with St. Joseph Health Ministries and proud that our sponsorship will help Brush. Brush. Smile!® to promote and establish healthy dental habits that will last a lifetime.”

Eastern Life & Health’s sponsorship will support the general operations of Brush. Brush. Smile!® and special events.“We’re grateful to Eastern Life & Health for its pioneering support of Brush. Brush. Smile!®,” said Jennifer Thompson, president and CEO of St. Joseph Health Ministries. “This generous contribution, made even more so by this challenging economy, will help us to improve access to dental care for all economically disadvantaged children in Lancaster County.”

Oral health can affect how a child feels and behaves, performs in school, and develops into an adult. More than 51 million school hours are lost each year to dental-related illness, according to the report “Oral Health in America.”

Eastern Life & Health Insurance Co. (www.elhins.com) offers group employee benefit products – dental, short- and long-term disability, term life, and vision insurance – to employers of all sizes. Organized in 1910 as Educators Mutual Life Insurance Co., Eastern Life & Health is part of the Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: EIHI) family of companies.

St. Joseph Health Ministries (www.sjhm.org) improves the health of children in need within Lancaster County.