The Catskill Chronicle

Jesse Kitzmiller. – Provided photo

FALLSBURG, NY (February 17, 2011) – During February, National Children’s Dental Health Month, the staff of PRASAD Children’s Dental Health Program thanks the community for their support of our mission.

Incorporated in 1996, PRASAD CDHP is a certified New York State Department of Health Article 28 Clinic and School Based Health Center approved to operate at New York State schools.

Since incorporation, PRASAD CDHP has served more than 62,000 children, and provided more than 170,000 procedures at different community and school sites in Sullivan and Ulster counties.

Sullivan County has one of highest rates of tooth decay in the Hudson Valley region. The New York State Department of Health statistics for 2002-2004 showed that 64 percent Sullivan County’s of third-grade children had dental caries. That surpassed the statewide rate at the time, which was 54.1 percent.

Thanks to PRASAD CDHP and the local dental providers, the percentage of untreated caries is now down to 26.9 percent, an improvement over the statewide rate of 33.1 percent. Sullivan County Legislator, Leni Binder, has said of PRASAD CDHP, “…when you look at it dollar-for-dollar and the good it does, it probably is the best program we have in the county.”

Still, there remains a lot of dedicated work to be done to continue this momentum in addressing the needs of the children in our community.

For information or to support our mission, please visit us at www.prasadcdhp.org or call us at 845-44-0376.

We wish all children happy healthy smiles and look forward to serving the community in the coming year!

PRASAD Children’s Dental Health Program, a philanthropic expression of the SYDA Foundation, provides dental care services and dental health education to children in Sullivan and Ulster counties. For more information, visit us at www.prasadcdhp.org or call 845.434.0376.