Join us in celebrating National Children's Dental Health Month by focusing on the importance of early dental care and oral health education for the underserved across North Carolina. Because EVERYONE deserves a healthy smile.
Why National Children's Dental Health Month Matters
Every February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children's Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health for children. This observance aims to instill good dental habits in children from a young age, helping them maintain healthy smiles for a lifetime.
Proper oral health care goes beyond just brushing and flossing. It’s about educating children and their families on the significance of regular dental visits and adopting a healthy lifestyle that promotes strong teeth and gums. Early intervention can prevent tooth decay and other dental issues that may lead to more serious health problems down the line.
Unfortunately, nearly one in five North Carolina kindergartners has untreated tooth decay, and tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease.
Smiles for Kids
Through the Smiles for Kids program, the Delta Dental Foundation (DDF), the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of North Carolina (DDNC), strives to educate the public on the importance of preventative oral health care and to help fund initiatives and programs designed to promote children’s oral health. Smiles for Kids supports safety-net dental clinics and North Carolina nonprofits, which provide critical dental services and education to local residents, especially to children in systemically disadvantaged areas.
This year, DDNC focused on making it easy for Western North Carolina to access Smiles for Kids by simplifying the application for funding and personally reaching out to partners in the areas impacted by Hurricane Helene to assist them with the process, resulting in four grants totaling $20,000.
In total, we are excited to announce that $157,000+ was awarded in community oral health grants that will serve 40,000+ lives across North Carolina.
Since the inception of the Smiles for Kids program in 2011, the DDF has invested more than $1 million, which has touched the lives of more than 500,000 children and families in more than half of North Carolina counties.
To view the full list of this year’s grant recipients or to learn more, visit: www.deltadentalnc.com/smilesforkids