SJHM and McDonald’s Restaurants to Promote Oral Health
LANCASTER, Pa. (Sept., 2009) – Happy meals, healthy smiles.
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.