NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hispanic Dental Association (H.D.A.) recently awarded oral care leader Colgate-Palmolive Company with its Corporate Legacy Award at its 2015 annual conference in San Antonio, TX for the company's ongoing commitment to professional education and oral health equity among the U.S. Hispanic community.
A leading organization dedicated to the elimination of oral health disparities in the Hispanic community, the H.D.A. honored Colgate's longstanding efforts to educate and support Latinos nationwide through community programs, bilingual educational information and advocacy around an often-overlooked, but important health issue.
"When the H.D.A. was forming in 1990, Colgate was our first corporate supporter and has been a steadfast partner over the past 25 years," said David Pena, CEO and executive director of the H.D.A. "It's vital to have support from a company such as Colgate to bring more Latinos into the profession, to educate families and to be on the ground in our communities providing dental care where it's most needed. Colgate truly walks the walk."
"Colgate believes in the H.D.A.'s mission and continues to innovate new ways to educate, empower and improve the oral health of Latinos nationwide," says Dr. Marsha Butler, Vice President, Global Oral Care, Colgate-Palmolive. "We are honored to have received the Corporate Legacy Award and strive to leave a lasting legacy of healthy smiles for future generations."
Colgate's goal of helping improve oral health among the U.S. Hispanic community is put into action through various educational and service initiatives over many decades. Since 2005, Colgate has awarded more than $200,000 toward post-graduate scholarship funds to increase the number of Hispanic dentists with specialty degrees. The company also maintains the Colgate Oral Health Network, which can reach 70,000 dental professionals across the globe through digital distance learning.
Two major community initiatives--Colgate's Bright Smiles, Bright Futures™ program and the annual Oral Health Month (Mes de la salud bucal) awareness campaign—reach Hispanic children and families directly. Now in its 25th year of operation, Bright Smiles, Bright Futures™ includes a classroom curriculum for kindergarten students and a mobile dental van that provides children ages 3-12 with free dental screenings and oral health education in various communities where the need is greatest. The program reaches over 10 million children annually. H.D.A. member dentists and hygienists volunteer their time in the vans to conduct the screenings and offer one-on-one conversations with families about maintaining healthy teeth and gums.
Every June, Colgate's Oral Health Month awareness campaign partners with the H.D.A. on awareness nationally of oral health disparities and proper oral hygiene through relevant spokespeople, bilingual media channels and culturally-relevant programming.
