Press Release Details

MELVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) will open the Nasdaq Stock Market tomorrow in celebration of the 15^th annual Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) program, an initiative of the ADA Foundation (ADAF) through which dental teams volunteer to provide free oral health care and education to underserved children across the U.S.

Joining Henry Schein Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Stanley M. Bergman at the bell-ringing ceremony will be American Dental Association (ADA) President Dr. Gary Roberts, ADAF President Dr. Bill Calnon, Nasdaq Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Jeremy Skule, and oral health practitioners who participate in the program.

Henry Schein has served as GKAS's official professional products sponsor since the ADA launched the program nationally in 2003 to help raise awareness of the critical need to expand access to oral health care for children in the U.S. Since the program's inception, Henry Schein, together with its supplier partners, has donated more than $15 million in oral health care products used to provide free oral health services for more than 5.5 million children. More information about GKAS, the largest children's oral health charitable initiative in the nation, can be found in this video.

"For too long, poor oral health has been a silent epidemic affecting our nation's children, and for 15 years Henry Schein has supported the Give Kids A Smile program so that volunteer oral health professionals have the products they need to treat underserved children," Mr. Bergman said. "It is incredibly rewarding to share the Give Kids A Smile story at the Nasdaq MarketSite with our supplier partners, and we look forward to many more years of supporting this wonderful cause."

Before officially opening the market, Mr. Bergman will speak with Dr. Roberts about GKAS as part of #ScheinChats, a social media series available on Facebook Live, beginning at 7:15 a.m. ET. The live stream can be viewed on Henry Schein's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HenrySchein/. Viewers can also tune in to the live stream of the bell-ringing ceremony at 9:15 a.m. ET.

Celebrated nationally on the first Friday of each February, and with events taking place year-round, GKAS is the result of a public-private partnership between the ADA Foundation, Henry Schein, Colgate-Palmolive, and KaVo Kerr. This year to date, more than 1,300 GKAS events are scheduled to take place throughout the country. GKAS coordinators estimate that nearly 300,000 underserved children will receive free oral health screenings, education, and treatment. Care will be delivered by more than 30,000 dental team volunteers, including 8,000 dentists, using supplies from 3,000 kits of essential oral health care products donated by Henry Schein and its supplier partners.

"The American Dental Association is committed to making sure our nation's children have access to a dental home, and guidance on dental hygiene and nutrition to help prevent dental disease," Dr. Roberts said. "We are proud to have a partner in Henry Schein that understands how great an impact the Give Kids A Smile program can have on kids in need. With their support, we have been able to bring smiles to the faces of millions of children, and set them on a path to a lifetime of good oral health."

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dental caries, or cavities, is the most prevalent infectious disease in children in the U.S., affecting more than 40 percent of infants and preschoolers by the time they reach kindergarten and about half of all children from lower-income families. In addition, a study published by The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), the ADA's flagship scientific publication on dentistry, indicates that, while dental caries is a multifactorial disease with many behavioral and community determinants, children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds have a higher average incidence of tooth decay.

"Over the past 15 years, we have watched the Give Kids A Smile program provide education and treatment to millions of children who may not otherwise be able to access dental care," Dr. Calnon said. "Each February, we celebrate the opportunity to help these kids understand the importance of good oral health, and how maintaining a healthy smile will help them reach their full potential."

Henry Schein's supplier partners that are supporting the 2017 Give Kids A Smile program through product donations include: 3M, Acteon, Ansell/Microflex, Centrix, Coltene, Cranberry USA, Crosstex, DASH Medical, DENTSPLY Sirona, DMG America, DUKAL Corporation, Dux Dental, Hu-Friedy, Kerr Restoratives, Kerr Rotary, Kerr TotalCare, Medicom, Premier, Sempermed, Septodont, Sultan Healthcare, Sunstar Americas, TIDI Products, Tuttnauer USA, Young Dental, and Zirc.

About the ADA Foundation 
As dentistry's premier philanthropic and charitable organization, the ADA Foundation is a catalyst for uniting people and organizations to make a difference through better oral health. The ADA Foundation provides more than $800,000 in grants, scholarships, and awards annually to programs that are in alignment with the organization's four mission pillars: Charitable Assistance, Access to Care, Research, and Education (C.A.R.E.). As part of these efforts, the ADA Foundation oversees Give Kids A Smile^® and also oversees the ADA Foundation Dr. Anthony Volpe Research Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland (formerly the Paffenbarger Research Center). For more information about the ADA Foundation, visit www.adafoundation.org.

About Henry Schein Cares
Henry Schein Cares stands on four pillars: engaging Team Schein Members to reach their potential, ensuring accountability by extending ethical business practices to all levels within Henry Schein, promoting environmental sustainability, and expanding access to health care for underserved and at-risk communities around the world. Health care activities supported by Henry Schein Cares focus on three main areas: advancing wellness, building capacity in the delivery of health care services, and assisting in emergency preparedness and relief.

Firmly rooted in a deep commitment to social responsibility and the concept of enlightened self-interest championed by Benjamin Franklin, the philosophy behind Henry Schein Cares is a vision of "doing well by doing good." Through the work of Henry Schein Cares to enhance access to care for those in need, the Company believes that it is furthering its long-term success. "Helping Health Happen Blog" is a platform for health care professionals to share their volunteer experiences delivering assistance to those in need globally. To read more about how Henry Schein Cares is making a difference, please visit our blog: www.helpinghealthhappen.org.

About Henry Schein, Inc. 
Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) is the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical practitioners. The company also serves dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, and other alternate care sites. A Fortune 500® Company and a member of the S&P 500® and the Nasdaq 100® indexes, Henry Schein employs more than 19,000 Team Schein Members and serves more than one million customers.

The company offers a comprehensive selection of products and services, including value-added solutions for operating efficient practices and delivering high-quality care. Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 110,000 branded products and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 150,000 additional products available as special-order items. The company also offers its customers exclusive, innovative technology solutions, including practice management software and e-commerce solutions, as well as a broad range of financial services.                                         

Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein has operations or affiliates in 33 countries. The company's sales reached a record $10.6 billion in 2015, and have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 15 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995. For more information, visit Henry Schein at www.henryschein.com, Facebook.com/HenrySchein and @HenrySchein on Twitter.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/henry-schein-to-open-nasdaq-in-celebration-of-15th-annual-give-kids-a-smile-program-300401196.html

SOURCE Henry Schein, Inc.

Ann Marie Gothard, Vice President, Corporate Media Relations, AnnMarie.Gothard@henryschein.com, (631) 390-8169