Boston, MA — DentaQuest, the nation’s leading purpose-driven oral health organization, recently donated $10,000 to Future Smiles, a nonprofit that serves children with critical dental needs who lack access to dental care.
The gift will support meeting these children where they are — in school. A full-time dentist will be able to care for 50 to 70 underserved Las Vegas Valley students with specialty dental needs, such as untreated cavities, root canals and crowns. Recent Southern Nevada patient data from Future Smiles underscores the serious need, as 7 in 10 children have tooth decay and 4 in 10 children report they are experiencing pain.
“Since the pandemic began in March, we’re finding a 100% increase in dental decay due to the kids being at home all day eating sugary snacks and drinking sugary beverages,” said Terri Chandler, founder and executive director of Future Smiles. “The cost of a root canal and crown can be as high as $1,000 and some of our patients need multiple. We’re grateful for DentaQuest’s support funding these critical services.”
DentaQuest’s mission is to improve oral health for all, promoting prevention and early intervention. The company, which manages dental and vision benefits for more than 30 million Americans and direct patient care through a network of more than 80 oral health centers in six states, aligns directly with Future Smiles’ mission to deliver dental care to underserved children.
“Keeping kids’ mouths healthy and largely cavity-free into adolescence sets them up for a lifetime of good oral health and overall wellbeing,” said Steve Pollock, president and CEO of DentaQuest. “An early start for all children — regardless of background — is a critical step to a more equitable future, as well.”
Since its 2009 founding, Future Smiles has served more than 100,000 at-risk children in Southern Nevada at Clark County schools and at the Nevada Women’s Philanthropy Dental Wellness Center. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Future Smiles also invested $50,000 in technology and equipment to treat children safely and protect staff.
“Only together can we alleviate a child’s dental pain and suffering while returning them to a healthy oral health benchmark,” Chandler said.
About Future Smiles
Founded in 2009, local nonprofit Future Smiles is Southern Nevada’s largest school-based preventive and restorative dental health program. Since its inception, Future Smiles has provided low-cost or no-cost dental services to more than 120,000 children with critical dental needs who lack access to dental care. Its goal is to improve oral health by eliminating health care barriers ending dental pain and suffering for Southern Nevada’s children. To learn more about Future Smiles or to make a donation, please visit www.futuresmiles.net.
About DentaQuest
DentaQuest is a purpose-driven oral health care company dedicated to improving the oral health of all. We do this through Preventistry® – our all-in approach to better care, expanded access, value-based financing, and innovative solutions. We manage dental and vision benefits for 30+ million Americans and direct patient care through our network of more than 80 oral health centers in 6 states. We provide outcomes-based, cost-effective dental solutions for Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare Advantage, small and large businesses, and individuals nationwide. And, we’ve invested more than $230 million in grants, programs and other corporate citizenship efforts to achieve measurably healthier communities across the country. By advancing prevention-focused oral health, we will achieve better overall health for everyone. Learn more at www.DentaQuest.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.