TeamSmile
Since 2017, DentaQuest has been the exclusive national dental insurance partner of TeamSmile, the nation’s premier advocacy group that partners oral health professionals with professional athletic organizations to bring life-changing dental care to children in need at TeamSmile clinics across the country. Many children have not had a dental visit previous to their clinic experience.
To reinforce the importance of having predictable access to dental care as the child grows, we established the TeamSmile Dental Home Project powered by DentaQuest in 2022. The effort matches in-need children with a local community dentist to build a relationship for long-term oral health care.
America's Toothfairy
DentaQuest and America’s ToothFairy, a national champion for children’s oral health, have worked together on multiple campaigns that engage children and their families in good oral health and prevention. Through annual oral health challenges, children and their families learn to keep their mouths healthy today and encourage healthy choices in the future. For example, the 2022 Share Your Smile campaign launched during National Children's Dental Health Month builds awareness of dental health inequities, the effects it has on children as they grow and actions people can take to help. DentaQuest and America’s ToothFairy are also partners for a national educational campaign to encourage thoughtful conversations between adolescents, teens and their parents about the health risks of vaping, which can significantly impact oral and overall health.
CATCH My Breath
The CATCH My Breath evidence-based, peer-led youth prevention program equips students to make informed decisions about the use of all types of e-cigarettes, which impacts oral and overall health. DentaQuest partnered with the CATCH Global Foundation and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health on a lesson plan that explains what vaping does to a person’s oral health. This course is now part of the CATCH My Breath Vaping Prevention Curriculum for grades 5 through 12. More than 1.6 million students in more than 5,000 schools across all 50 states have experienced the program. The curriculum is offered free of charge. CATCH My Breath is the only school-level vaping intervention endorsed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Free Dental Clinics
Free dental care days are often organized by state dental associations and their foundations or organizations like Mission of Mercy. These local community efforts rely on volunteers to deliver free health services including dental care to people facing other barriers to health care access. DentaQuest has supported these free dental care days for over 12 years, contributing more than $1 million and countless volunteer hours, because people remain in need across the nation. However, these clinics are not the solution for limited oral health access nationwide. Working towards a future where anyone can access quality oral health care, DentaQuest has also focused its efforts on supporting and partnering with various organizations to increase access to routine preventive oral health care services.
Crisis Relief
Beyond single days of service, we lend our support in times of crisis from delivering personal dental hygiene kits to local schools, food pantries and shelters to writing letters of gratitude to our service men and women. With the health and safety of our staff and communities in mind, we support communities as they respond to and recover amid disaster. In 2022, for example, DentaQuest contributed more than $1.2 million to help rebuild after natural and other disasters in 7 states, including Hurricane Ian in Florida.
Industry Engagement
We collaborate with national and state dental associations, health plan associations and local support organizations to establish valuable connections and gain diverse industry perspectives. This ensures we stay abreast of new insights, shifting ideas and important nuances to continue adapting our work. These relationships reinforce DentaQuest's business commitment to the dental and broader health industries.
PREVENTISTRY PULSE
The newsletter designed for anyone who wants to improve oral health for themselves, their families, customers or communities.