Tom's of Maine Helps Increase Access to Dental Care

KENNEBUNK, Maine, March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Tom's of Maine, a leader in natural personal care products, marks the fifth year of its Dental Health for All(TM) program by awarding over $108,000 in sponsorship to community dental health programs in seven states across the country. Total support for dental clinics since 2004 is now more than $770,000 and has helped clinics provide an estimated 70,000 additional visits to gain access to quality, affordable dental care.

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Tom Chappell, cofounder and CEO of Tom's of Maine, announced the sponsorships, stating, "We continue to see studies indicating the enormous need for access to dental care throughout the United States and thus we're very pleased to mark our 5th year of Dental Health for All(TM). We are encouraged by the support and energy around dental needs shown by our consumers and retail partners who help make these grants possible. Although these clinics are very different in some ways, just like Tom's of Maine, they all share a mission-driven focus of bringing quality dental and oral health care to people in need and thus will receive sponsorship for construction of new dental clinics, funding more dental hygienists, and purchasing X-ray systems."

    State     City                 Clinic                             Award

    CA     Los Angeles   Union Rescue Mission Dental Clinic          $15,000
    CA     Santa Cruz    Dientes Dental Clinic                       $12,000
    DC     Washington    Spanish Catholic Center                     $15,000
    IL     Chicago       Lawndale Christian Health Center             $3,600
    MA     Boston        Boston Health Care for the Homeless         $14,300
    ME     Rumford       Community Dental                            $15,000
    OR     Hillsboro     Pacific University, School of DHS           $18,560
    PA     Philadelphia  Esperanza Health Center                     $15,000

Tom's of Maine began the Dental Health for All(TM) program in 2004 in response to the Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health. The study found that over 120 million Americans have no dental insurance and can wait over 12 months for an appointment at a public dental clinic. In addition, many millions more have trouble obtaining the dental care they need because they can't afford it or because they live in underserved areas where dentists are scarce or nonexistent.

To do something positive in the face of this public health issue, Tom's of Maine began the Dental Health for All(TM) program with two goals:

    -- to increase access to dental care
    -- to educate the population about the link between oral and overall
       health

Since its inception, the program -- with great help from retailers and consumers -- has made a significant impact, providing over $770,000 to public dental clinics and helping tens of thousands of people in need receive quality, affordable dental care.

About Tom's of Maine

Founded in Kennebunk, Maine, by Tom and Kate Chappell in 1970, Tom's of Maine creates effective personal care products using simple, natural ingredients derived from plants and minerals. Tom's of Maine products- toothpaste, mouthwash, floss, deodorant, and soap-do not contain artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colors, flavors, or animal ingredients; are tested for safety and efficacy without the use of animals; are biodegradable; and are packaged in earth-friendly ways. Our philosophy of "Natural Care" guides us in doing what is right for our customers, employees, communities, and environment. We fulfill our Natural Care mission by donating 10% of our profits to charitable organizations; by encouraging our employees to use 5% of their paid time in volunteer work; by adhering to our standards of natural, sustainable, and responsible; and by not testing on animals.

Tom's of Maine products and packaging are designed to be sustainable and recyclable. Each year, Tom's uses cartons made of 100% recycled paper board. As a result, we save or prevent:

    -- 0.5 million pounds of solid waste
    -- 2.8 million gallons of waste water
    -- 7 billion BTUs of electricity -- that's 70 years of electricity as
       required by the average U.S. home.
    -- 1 million pounds of greenhouse gases -- that's 1 million miles traveled
       in the average U.S. car
    -- 6,000 pounds of air pollution (HAPs, VOCs, TRSs combined)

    Tom's of Maine also:

    -- Uses vegetable -based inks on all of our professionally printed
       materials and packaging
    -- Wraps bar soaps in biodegradable cellulose made from wood fibers
    -- Created a deodorant stick made of just a single plastic (#5
       polypropylene) so that it can be recycled-the first of its kind in the
       industry.

For more information or to buy our products please visit www.tomsofmaine.com