Press Release Details

Seventh Annual Program Will Provide Free Oral Healthcare for Nearly 500,000 Children Across the United States

MELVILLE, N.Y--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- For the seventh consecutive year, Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ:HSIC), the largest distributor of healthcare products and services to office-based practitioners in the combined North American and European markets, partnered with the American Dental Association (ADA), Colgate-Palmolive Company, and DEXIS® to support Give Kids A Smile, a program that provides free dental services and educational programs for nearly 500,000 underserved children at approximately 1,700 locations across the United States. Today, more than 44,000 dental team volunteers will participate in events including in-school brushing demonstrations, community screening and treatment programs, and free private dental care.

Henry Schein Dental, the U.S. Division of Henry Schein, serves as the exclusive professional product sponsor of Give Kids A Smile Day. With the commitment and support of 38 supplier partners, Henry Schein provided 3,000 oral healthcare screening and prevention kits to the program, each kit containing supplies to serve 50 children.

“Team Schein Members take tremendous pride in the impact that the Give Kids A Smile program has on children’s lives every year,” said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Henry Schein. “As a flagship program of Henry Schein Cares, our global social responsibility program, Give Kids A Smile is exemplary of the power of public-private partnerships. By harnessing our own core competencies and building on our relationships with our generous supplier partners, we are able to capitalize on our collective strength and have a powerful impact on local communities in need.”

Give Kids A Smile highlights the ongoing challenges that underserved children face in accessing dental care, and helps build support among policy makers for public and private solutions that will provide regular access to oral healthcare. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tooth decay affects children in the United States more than any other chronic infectious disease. Untreated tooth decay causes pain and infections that may lead to serious problems including difficulty eating, speaking, and learning. Children and adolescents living under the poverty line suffer twice as much tooth decay as other children, and their disease is more likely to go untreated.

Due to the great success of Give Kids A Smile Day, the ADA has expanded the one-day initiative into a year-round effort to increase access to dental care for underserved children. A National Advisory Board was formed to further develop the program, focusing on three primary areas: program enhancement; fundraising; and hosting an annual Promising Practices Symposium, at which similar programs could share best practices. Steve Kess, Henry Schein’s Vice President of Global Professional Relations, serves as Chair of the ADA’s Give Kids A Smile National Advisory Board.

Henry Schein’s Participating Supplier Partners

Supporting Give Kids A Smile through product donations this year are the following manufacturers:

3M ESPE Dental
Acteon
Ansell Healthcare Products
Axis Dental Corporation
Biotrol International
Centrix
Coltene/Whaledent, Inc.
Crosstex International
DASH
DENTSPLY Caulk
DENTSPLY Pharmaceutical
DENTSPLY Professional
Dux Dental
Foremost
GC America Inc
Harry J. Bosworth Company
Hu-Friedy
J&J Instruments
Johnson & Johnson
Kimberly-Clark
Medicom
Microflex Corporation
Palmero Healthcare
Premier Dental
Professional Disposable International
Richmond Dental
SDS Kerr
Sempermed USA
Septodont
Southern Dental
SS White Burs
Sultan Healthcare
Sunstar Americas
TIDI Products
Total Care
Tuttnauer
Waterpik Technologies
Young Dental

About the ADA

The not-for-profit American Dental Association is the nation's largest dental association, representing more than 155,000 members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer and dental care products. For more information about the ADA, visit the Association's Web site at www.ada.org.

About Colgate-Palmolive Company

Colgate-Palmolive is a leading global consumer products company, tightly focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition. Colgate sells its products in over 200 countries and territories around the world under such internationally recognized brand names as Colgate, Palmolive, Mennen, Softsoap, Irish Spring, Protex, Sorriso, Kolynos, Elmex, Tom’s of Maine, Ajax, Axion, Soupline, and Suavitel, as well as Hill's Science Diet and Hill's Prescription Diet. For more information about Colgate's global business, visit the Company's web site at http://www.colgate.com.

About DEXIS

DEXIS is an industry leader in developing high quality digital imaging solutions for the dental community. In 1997, DEXIS introduced digital radiography on laptop computers — making it the first truly portable and affordable digital X-ray system. In 2001, DEXIS became the first intra-oral digital radiography system to be accepted by the American Dental Association into the highly prestigious ADA Seal Program. Today, DEXIS is the most highly awarded intra-oral digital X-ray system with numerous awards from dental researchers and well-respected dental publications. For more information about DEXIS imaging solutions, visit www.dexis.com.

About Henry Schein, Inc.

Henry Schein, a Fortune 500® company and a member of the NASDAQ 100® Index, is recognized for its excellent customer service and highly competitive prices. The Company's four business groups – Dental, Medical, International and Technology – serve more than 550,000 customers worldwide, including dental practitioners and laboratories, physician practices and animal health clinics, as well as government and other institutions. The Company operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, which provides customers in more than 200 countries with a comprehensive selection of more than 90,000 national and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 100,000 additional products available as special-order items.

Henry Schein also offers a wide range of innovative value-added practice solutions for healthcare professionals, such as ArubA®, the Company’s electronic catalog and ordering system. Its leading practice-management software solutions have a user base of more than 52,000 practices, including DENTRIX®, Easy Dental®, Oasis® and EXACT® for dental practices, MicroMD® for physician practices, and AVImark® for animal health clinics. Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein employs more than 12,000 people and has operations or affiliates in 23 countries. The Company's net sales reached a record $5.9 billion in 2007. For more information, visit the Henry Schein Web site at www.henryschein.com.

Source: Henry Schein, Inc.

Henry Schein, Inc.
Susan Vassallo, 631-843-5562
Vice President, Corporate Communications
susan.vassallo@henryschein.com