| 1 | House Resolution |
| 2 | A resolution recognizing April 6, 2005, as "Dentists' Day |
| 3 | on the Hill" in Florida. |
| 4 |
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| 5 | WHEREAS, the Florida Dental Association, a statewide, |
| 6 | professional membership organization representing more than |
| 7 | 7,000 Florida-licensed dentists, was established in 1884 to |
| 8 | advance the public health through professional education and |
| 9 | public advocacy while promoting high practice standards and |
| 10 | improving the professional practice environment, and |
| 11 | WHEREAS, studies reveal that poor oral health can |
| 12 | contribute to heart disease, artery blockage, stroke, diabetes, |
| 13 | preterm delivery, low-birth-weight babies, and bacterial |
| 14 | pneumonia, and |
| 15 | WHEREAS, the Florida Dental Association is promoting the |
| 16 | concept of "A Healthy Mouth Equals a Healthy Body," and |
| 17 | WHEREAS, in 1996, the Florida Dental Association joined |
| 18 | efforts with the Department of Health's Volunteer Health Care |
| 19 | Provider Program to create "Project: Dentists' Care," a dental- |
| 20 | access program that in 2004 provided care for almost 14,000 |
| 21 | underserved adults and children statewide for an estimated $3.7 |
| 22 | in donated services, and |
| 23 | WHEREAS, in February 2005, 183 dentists in Florida |
| 24 | volunteered dental services for the annual "Give Kids A Smile |
| 25 | Day" and served 1,754 children at an estimated value of |
| 26 | $314,257, and |
| 27 | WHEREAS, the Florida Dental Association has developed |
| 28 | "Mouth Wise," a dental health education kit for elementary |
| 29 | students designed to give children a basic understanding of |
| 30 | teeth, mouth, and gums and the importance of preventive |
| 31 | dentistry as it relates to health care, and |
| 32 | WHEREAS, the Florida Dental Association has also developed |
| 33 | a "Mouth Wise" dental health education kit for middle school |
| 34 | students to teach the importance of dental health care, focusing |
| 35 | on nutrition and soda consumption, use of mouth guards and |
| 36 | smokeless tobacco, and oral piercing, NOW, THEREFORE, |
| 37 |
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| 38 | Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of |
| 39 | Florida: |
| 40 |
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| 41 | That the Florida House of Representatives recognizes April |
| 42 | 6, 2005, as "Dentists' Day on the Hill" in Florida. |
| 43 | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be |
| 44 | presented to the Florida Dental Association as a tangible token |
| 45 | of the sentiments expressed herein. |