Washington Dental Service Building for Early Childhood Oral Health (ECOH)
$5 Million Gift Boosts Childhood Oral Health Care Offered by UW, Children’s Hospital
SEATTLE, WA – The University of Washington School of Dentistry and Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center announced on November 16th that they are joining forces to combat the growing crisis of childhood dental disease with the development of a new pediatric dental facility. The new facility, located in Magnuson Park, will double the capacity of the pediatric dental programs at both institutions, providing an estimated 30,000 pediatric dental visits per year for healthy children and those with urgent or special needs.
Washington Dental Service and the Washington Dental Service Foundation have provided a lead gift of $5 million to renovate the facility which will house an innovative clinical, research and training program, the Early Childhood Oral Health (ECOH) program. Children’s, Washington Dental Service and the UW School of Dentistry have a long history of collaboration, developing new models for pediatric dental care and advocating for improved access to that care.
In Washington, nearly 60 percent of elementary children suffer from preventable dental decay. “Children are not healthy if their mouths aren’t healthy,” said Dr. Joel Berg, DDS, director of the ECOH program and chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the UW School of Dentistry, “Left untreated, dental disease can be intensely painful, costly and lead to other serious lifelong health complications. The problem is even worse for the children living in low-income households and for those with special needs.”
The new venture will ensure the region’s children receive the highest quality oral health care at an early age when disease can be prevented. The Washington Dental Service Building for Early Childhood Oral Health will bring nationally-recognized oral health care and medical professionals together under one roof to directly impact healthcare delivery models, research and education.
Contact:
Sara Paul
ECOH Program Manager
sarapaul@u.washington.edu
Pediatric Dentistry
206.543.4885
