$134,000 grant will address dental disease in local Cape Cod children

Grant to serve children in Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties

The Tri-County Collaborative for Oral Health Excellence (Tri-CCOHE), an organization committed to reducing dental disease and providing access to affordable dental care to low-income children and families, has received a $134,000 grant from the DentaQuest Foundation. DentaQuest President Ralph Fuccillo said his foundation, located in Boston, is pleased to partner with a community-driven initiative with a history of success in decreasing disparities in oral health care. The grant will serve children in Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket counties.

Tri-CCOHE also has won the support of local organizations, including the Whitcomb Family Trust Fund of the Cape Cod Foundation and the Seaside LeMans. These resources will be used to support dental disease prevention activities to benefit more than 1,000 preschool children.

The mission of Tri-CCOHE is to create an oral health system with full access to affordable emergency, preventive, restorative, and specialty care. According to BL Hathaway, Tri-CCOHE coordinator, dental disease is the most common chronic infectious disease of childhood — five times more common than asthma. Children with serious bacterial infections often have trouble eating, sleeping, and learning. Adults who have gone without care for extended periods can suffer serious health consequences, such as heart disease, stroke, and complications from diabetes.

For more information about the Tri-County Collaborative for Oral Health Excellence, contact BL Hathaway at (508) 771-1375 or hathawaybl@yahoo.com. For help in securing affordable dental care, contact Cheila Mageste at (508) 771-1375 or cheilamageste@yahoo.com.

The Cape Cod Foundation is a community foundation whose mission is to build permanent charitable resources for community betterment through informed grantmaking and civic leadership. The Foundation has distributed more than $35 million in grants and scholarships and is celebrating 20 years of charitable giving in 2009.