Contact:
Jill Hamilton
Director Marketing Communications
Phone: 515-261-5526
jhamilton@deltadentalia.com
Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation Improving the Smiles of Iowa Children
More than 195,000 toothbrushes have been donated to I-Smile(r) and Iowa Head Start programs in 2018
Johnston, IA (July 3, 2018) – Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation has donated more than 195,000 toothbrushes for I-Smile(r) and Iowa Head Start programs in all 99 Iowa counties. The donation is part of the Foundation’s education and outreach efforts to eliminate caries in young Iowa children. Children receive toothbrushes to encourage brushing, along with dental health education to help them develop and maintain a healthy smile.
According to the Surgeon General’s Oral Health in America Report, tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease. Starting and maintaining good dental habits at a young age is important and aligns with the Foundation’s long-term goal that every Iowa child age 0-12 will be cavity-free by 2020. To meet this goal, the Foundation supports a variety of outreach programs with the help of public-private partnerships.
“A new toothbrush in the hands of a child is a simple but powerful tool to improve their oral and overall health,” said Jeff Russell, president of the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation. “In order to help all Iowa children to be cavity-free by 2020, we must continue to promote programs and partnerships that provide oral health prevention and education, improve access to health care and work with schools and communities on infrastructure that promotes a healthy lifestyle.”
Iowa nonprofit organizations can request toothbrush donations to complement oral health education projects through the Delta Dental of Iowa website at www.deltadentalia.com/foundation/grant-funding and select Toothbrush Donation Program.
About Delta Dental of Iowa
Delta Dental of Iowa, a not-for-profit health and wellness company, provides dental and vision benefits to more than one million Iowans. Locally focused and nationally networked, Delta Dental of Iowa invests in oral health and wellness projects through the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation and community giving that focus on access to care, prevention, education and research. Since 2002, Delta Dental has invested more than $33 million to improve the oral health and overall health of Iowans.
Delta Dental of Iowa is a member of the Delta Dental Plans Association, the leading national network of independent dental service corporations. The Delta Dental member companies provide dental benefits to more than 75 million Americans in more than 139,000 employee groups throughout the country. For more information, visit the website at www.deltadentalia.com.
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Charlee and Zoey from Drake Head Start in Des Moines enjoy their new Delta Dental toothbrushes.