Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation Donates 375,000 Toothbrushes in 2017

Posted on December 18, 2017 in Foundation

Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation has donated more than 1.5 million toothbrushes over the past five years to Iowans in all 99 counties. This year’s total reached more than 375,000, an increase of seven percent over 2016. The toothbrushes were distributed across the state through Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation’s various outreach programs. Schools, clinics, hospitals, I-Smile™ coordinators, Head Start and other organizations received toothbrushes to encourage brushing, along with dental health education to help Iowans develop and maintain a healthy smile.

One of the long-term goals of the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation is that every Iowa child age 0 - 12 will be cavity-free by 2020. This starts with children having the education and resources to implement good oral health habits at a young age. The second goal for 2020 is improving access to dental care for older Iowans. Both goals are actively pursued on an annual basis through a variety of outreach programs and 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 pursue 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.”

In 2018, 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 beginning January 10, 2018 and select Toothbrush Donation Program.