HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 18
(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss, and Delegates Frich, Amores, Anderson, Armstead, Ashley, Azinger, Beach, Beane, Blair, Boggs, Border, Brown, Browning, Butcher, Calvert, Campbell, Cann, Canterbury, Caputo, Carmichael, Caruth, Craig, Crosier, DeLong, Doyle, Duke, Ellem, Evans, Faircloth, Ferrell, Fleischauer, Foster, Fragale, Frederick, Frich, Hall, Hamilton, Hartman, Hatfield, Houston, Howard, Hrutkay, Iaquinta, Kominar, Kuhn, Leach, Leggett, Long, Louisos, Mahan, Manchin, Manuel, Martin, Mezzatesta, Michael, Morgan, Overington, Palumbo, Paxton, Perdue, Perry, Pethtel, Pino, Poling, Proudfoot, Renner, Romine, Schadler, Schoen, Shaver, Shelton, Smirl, Sobonya, Spencer, Stalnaker, Staton, Stemple, Sumner, Susman, Swartzmiller, Tabb, Talbott, R. Thompson, R. M. Thompson, Trump, Tucker, Varner, Wakim, Walters, Warner, Webb, Webster, G. White, H. White, Williams, Wright, Yeager and Yost)

[Introduced March 3, 2004; referred to the
Committee on Rules.]
Proclaiming February as National Children's Dental Health Month.
Whereas, There is growing evidence concerning the integral relationship between oral health and general health, including associations between chronic oral infections and diabetes, osteoporosis, heart and lung conditions, and certain adverse pregnancy outcomes; and
Whereas, Dental caries (tooth decay) is the single most common chronic childhood disease - five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever; and
Whereas, More than 51 million school hours are lost each year across the country due to dental related illness in children; and
Whereas, Poor children suffer twice as much dental caries as their more affluent peers and their disease is more likely to be untreated; and
Whereas, Oral health indicators in the State of West Virginia continue to lag behind the rest of the nation, particularly in the area of children's oral health; and
Whereas, Dental hygienists and dentists complete extensive formal education and clinical preparation, and are essential to the pursuit of preventative oral health care, as well as early detection of life threatening diseases; and
Whereas, Dental hygienists and dentists, working as members of the oral health care team, dedicate their time to providing oral health care services to a diverse group, including children, the economically disadvantaged, the elderly, and physically and mentally disabled; therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Delegates:
That the House of Delegates hereby proclaims February as National Children's Dental Health Month; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the House of Delegates hereby urges all parents and children to become more familiar with and appreciative of the practice of dental hygiene and dentistry, and to recognize dental hygienists and dentists for the many valued services they provide; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates is directed to forward a copy of this resolution to Dr. Peter Ngan, Chairman, West Virginia School of Dentistry.