Delta Dental of Missouri

Land of smiles program program description: delta dental of missouri's land of smiles is an educational program that features captivating characters, who teach grade schoolers good dental health habits. The program is available in a live, in-person and virtual format. In 2024, delta dental of missouri invested more than $368,000 to educate nearly 84,000 missouri and south carolina kindergarten-through-3rd-grade students in 449 schools. Students learn the importance of brushing teeth twice a day, flossing, eating healthy foods and visiting the dentist regularly. Delta dental of missouri offers free "smile bags" to schools for students who participate in the program. Each bag includes a toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss to help students practice the good oral health habits that they learn. Each school is responsible for distributing the bags to participating students who attend school in person or virtually. A survey of school nurses showed that 99% would like to have the program return to their school. Pre- and post-test data also showed a 30% increase in children's oral health knowledge after viewing the program. Longevity: this program has been in place in missouri since 2002, and in south carolina since 2014.

Community giving program program description: through delta dental of missouri's community giving program, the company supports charitable organizations and programs that are working to make a difference in missouri and south carolina communities. Delta dental of missouri considers community giving requests each quarter from registered 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, which serve individuals in missouri or south carolina, and support the overall health and well-being of the community with a focus on at-risk populations. More than $90,000 in community donations were awarded in 2024. Organizations may apply for funding once per year. Delta dental of missouri's community giving includes oral health supply donations of toothbrushes and dental floss to organizations to help individuals maintain good oral hygiene for better dental health. In 2024, delta dental of missouri donated more than 225,000 dental supply items to 39 organizations as part of the land of smiles program.