Why Delta Dental of Oklahoma gives back with a smile
Whether they know it or not, more than 60 percent of Oklahoma employers—from small mom-and–pop businesses to Fortune 500 companies—help make dental care affordable and available to those who need it most. They help Oklahoma’s underserved when they choose Delta Dental as their dental provider.
Many Oklahomans cannot afford dental insurance or basic dental care. Many of these folks also live in rural areas without a dentist nearby. Some simply do not know how to prevent gum disease and tooth decay. The Delta Dental of Oklahoma Oral Health Foundation helps these people get the care they need.
Since 1998, the Delta Dental of Oklahoma has contributed more than $19 million to dental health and education programs statewide through its Oral Health Foundation. Delta Dental of Oklahoma aims to contribute 50 percent of its annual net contribution to reserves to its foundation – that totaled more than $2 million in 2016.
New sealant program takes flight
This school year, the Foundation launched the Delta Dental Cavity Prevention Clinic, which allows children to receive free dental sealants on their permanent molars. Dental sealants prevent 80 percent of cavities in back teeth, where 9 out of 10 cavities occur.
The program has two main goals: to seal new molars of at-risk second- and sixth-grade students and to help connect them to nearby dental practices.
Registered dental hygienists use portable dental equipment to conduct the sealant clinics at schools. Erin Sexson, DDS, of Oklahoma City, oversees the program.
“I’m excited to be a part of this pilot,” Sexson said. “Helping to create a program that undeniably impacts the future oral health of children has been very rewarding.”
Teachers, principals, nurses, and other staff welcome the program, which targets schools with 80 percent or higher rates of participation in the Federal Free and Reduced Meals Program. Children in this program are statistically at higher risk for dental decay.
“The unfortunate fact is, many of the children we serve at these schools are not going to be taken to a dentist until they are in pain, unless we intercede,” said John Gladden, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Oklahoma and chairman of its Oral Health Foundation. “Besides sealing teeth at this critical time in the children’s development, we are also committed to helping bridge the gap between them and a nearby dental home for ongoing dental care.”
The Foundation plans to develop a scalable model that schools throughout the state can replicate. With more prevention clinics, more kids will receive the preventative care they need for long-lasting oral health.
Providing free dental care with a smile
Delta Dental’s commitment to giving doesn’t stop with sealant clinics. The Oral Health Foundation offers grants to other free and low-cost dental clinics that provide care to low-income patients statewide.
The Foundation also supports MobileSmiles Oklahoma, which travels the state to provide dental care and education.
Captain Supertooth crusades across Oklahoma each year with the help of the Foundation. The toothbrush-wielding superhero visits kids in kindergarten through third grade to talk about the importance of good dental hygiene.
To find out more about the Delta Dental of Oklahoma Oral Health Foundation, visit www.ddokfoundation.org. To choose a dental program that’s right for your company, visit the Delta Dental website at www.deltadentalok.org.