Delta Dental of Arkansas

There are so many special days and events in June, like Month.

Kids can't always tell us when something's up with their vision. So, if you're a parent, look out for signs like squinting, sitting too close to the TV, or appearing frequently distracted and unfocused.

We put together a list of 20 telltale signs: https://bit.ly/3cSSiqC.

Even if your child seems to see clearly, start scheduling regular exams with an eye care provider at the age of 6 months.

Send us a PM or comment below if you're interested in our vision insurance for individuals, families, and employers through our partnership with EyeMed Vision Care.

Larry the Lion loved all the attention he received during last year's at the Amazeum. Even the news media came. (Thanks, 5NEWS .)

He and the entire Toothapalooza team will be back this Saturday and would like to see YOU. Details at https://bit.ly/3xr2u4f.

They're baaaack!

If you’ve followed us for a while, you know what June means: The return of the annual . Except we’ve changed them. For the better.

Starting today, Community Grant applications will now be accepted year-round instead of once a year.

That means your nonprofit organizations, educational institutions or government agencies have more opportunities to devise and deliver strong oral health projects to improve the smiles of uninsured and underserved Arkansans!

Here's a quick overview:
👍 Grant applications may be submitted year-round.
👍 There will be 4 quarterly review and approval processes.
👍 Approved funds will be dispersed within 3 weeks after receipt of the completed payment forms.
👍 Funds must be spent within a rolling 12-month period after grant approval.
👍 Primary grant focus: Dental disease prevention and/or treatment; a secondary focus on oral health education is encouraged. If your project solely focuses on education, please apply in a different category e.g., Oral Health Education grant.
👍 Submission of final report is required before applying for a new grant.
👍 Organizations may submit multiple applications/year, but receive only 1 award/year.
👍 Grant request amounts range from $2,500 - $40,000 (unchanged).

Start here, https://bit.ly/3XvMgiS, for more info and an application.

What do you think? Are you as excited about the changes as we are?

Employee benefits are a boon to employees and businesses.

Our own Jeb Steen was interviewed by Arkansas Money & Politics for an in-depth look at dental insurance as part of group benefits.

"Dental insurance is the second-most requested employee benefit behind medical insurance," he said. "Having a comprehensive dental plan in the benefits lineup can help attract and retain employees. More importantly, it can improve the employees' oral and overall health."

Exactly.

Read more in the current issue at https://armoneyandpolitics.com/digital-issue/, pages 48-50.

And please leave a comment to learn more about our dental and vision group plans. We have many options for small, mid-size and large business organizations.

This is our team from last year's Toothapalooza event; they (and some new faces) will be back at the Amazeum on Saturday, June 22.

They're ready to provide free dental screenings and take-home dental hygiene kits for children 18 and younger, and fun educational activities for the whole family. If you've never heard of "sugar bugs," you don't know what you're missing.

Free admission is available for the first 500 visitors who mention "Toothapalooza" upon check-in and participate in dental screenings.

We'll see you there.

Who has sensitive teeth? You know it if you have them.

Here are some tips on how to decrease teeth sensitivity.

From the : How do you serve more patients with greater effectiveness and efficiency?

The Interfaith Dental Clinic in Conway recently launched a promising initiative—in-depth patient surveys.

Data collection might sound like a surprising move for a charitable dental clinic.
But it makes perfect sense.

“With our objective of providing accessible and comprehensive dental care to underserved communities, we recognized that data-driven strategies were essential,” says Maegan Dyson, the chief development officer at the Conway Regional Health System, owner of the Interfaith Dental Clinic.

The pre-and post-dental surveys are designed to monitor, assess and promote behavior change while enhancing the overall impact of the clinic’s services.

Aside from basic demographic information, the questions address dental hygiene habits, lifestyle factors that affect oral health and patients’ attitudes regarding dentist visits. English and Spanish versions are available.

Implemented in early 2024, they have already given the staff valuable insights that go beyond a basic patient chart.
For example:

✔️ All but one of the 290 survey participants considered oral health as important to their overall health.
✔️ One-fourth were returning patients, who wrote they considered the clinic their dental home and not just a place for emergency tooth extraction.
✔️ The fear of the dentist and the fear of pain ranked high among the reasons for avoiding previous dental visits, but almost every survey participant expressed satisfaction with the care they received at Interfaith Dental Clinic.

Since 2019, the clinic has served about 8,500 adults and children from 11 surrounding counties. Last year, it moved to a larger facility and hired a dental hygienist to treat more patients with no or limited dental insurance or financial means.

Services range from oral exams and X-rays to fillings to root canals and crowns. A from the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation helps defray the costs for supplies and equipment.

But the clinic’s role doesn’t stop there. The staff hopes that it will serve as “an entryway into enhancing the overall health of the underserved health population in our community,” Maegan says.

We applaud this holistic healthcare approach and would love to support other similar projects. If your organization seeks to improve the smiles of Arkansans, check out our funding opportunities at https://bit.ly/3sBXLp3.

Conway Regional Health Foundation

We proudly present our own Niki Carter, DMD, MPH, as a member of the 2024 Class of Women to Watch, Little Rock Soirée magazine. https://bit.ly/4aQgXnX

Dr. Carter is the Dental Director of our Professional Relations Department. She's a true trailblazer for women in dentistry, and we couldn't be more grateful to have her on our senior staff. Thank you.

Incidentally, we're not just "watching" women at Delta Dental of Arkansas. We actively recruit and hire women, advance their careers with us and promote them. Half of our top executives, including our CEO, are women, and several members of our leadership team have been recognized as "Women to Watch" in recent years.

Bravo!

Smile! It's good for you. Not only is a smile an indicator of your mood, it also offers great health benefits:

🐸 Better moods: Smiling can release serotonin, which boosts your mood.
🐸 Less stress: Smiling releases endorphins, which can reduce feelings of stress and pain. It can even limit tooth grinding. (We love that part!)
🐸 Strengthened immune system: Positive thinking associated with smiling can release neuropeptides that help fight disease.
🐸 Support for overall health: The feel-good hormones and chemicals released by your body when you smile can lower your heart rate and blood pressure.

🐸🐸 Bonus. More friends:
Smiles are contagious. Sharing smiles with others or starting a conversation with a smile is likely to rub off on others and lead to positive interactions throughout your day and perhaps even new or deeper friendships.

Because it's , you'll indulge us in a sales pitch:

We sell vision insurance in partnership with EyeMed Vision Care for individuals, families and groups.

330+ locations in Arkansas (700+ nationwide)
Plenty of options for exams and eyewear
No restrictions on eyeglass frames or contact lenses.

Have a look (We couldn't resist). https://www.deltadentalar.com/shop-plans/individual-family-plans/vision

This comment is from a current Disaster Relief Grant applicant.

We're providing to communities and dental practices affected by the May 26 tornados in NWA. https://www.deltadentalar.com/DisasterRelief
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Community organizations addressing immediate disaster relief needs may apply through June 7; dental practices through June 28.

ETA: We just received the link to the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9zfdH3tFMk

It may be a surprise for many Arkansans: Affordable comprehensive dental care is available thanks to UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences with grant support from the .

Foundation executive director Sharon Lanier and Dana Bodenner with the UAMS Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation Oral Health Clinic went on The Vine this morning and shared details with Ashley King.

We’ll post the segment link in a little bit . Tune in and learn more about the UAMS Oral Health Clinic, the UAMS Dental Hygiene Clinic, the UAMS 12th St. Health & Wellness Center and of, course the grant programs offered by the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation.

Thankful to the Arkansas Community Foundation for spreading the word about our grants for communities (and dental practices) affected by last week's tornados.

This is Day 2 of us serving as a matching partner for donations made to the American Red Cross Arkansas for disaster relief in Northwest Arkansas. Please give generously to assist your Arkansas neighbors who were affected by Sunday’s tornadoes. Delta Dental of Arkansas will match a portion of your donation.

https://www.redcross.org/donate/cm/kfsm-pub.html/

Thank you, 5NEWS for spreading the word.

To assist disaster relief efforts in NWA, we'll match donations to the Red Cross and offer two grant programs for community organizations and dental offices affected by the storms. Our CEO, Kristin Merlo, explains. Have a look.

Delta Dental Foundation matches Red Cross donations today, announces disaster relief programs The Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation is matching donations made to the American Red Cross at 4029tv.com/redcross on Thursday, May 30, 2024.

Please share: Delta Dental of Arkansas is providing disaster relief grants for community organizations and dental practices affected by the May 26 tornados in NWA.
https://bit.ly/3WXwXRV

Disaster Relief Grants for NWA Now Available Disaster relief grants now available for communities and dental practices affected by the May 26 NWA tornados.

The not-so-good news you need to hear (followed by the good news):

Hearing loss has been linked to many other health conditions, such as

❤️ Cardiovascular disease: Poor blood flow and circulation issues can affect the health of the inner ear, potentially leading to hearing loss.

📈 Diabetes: Elevated blood sugar levels can damage the blood vessels and nerves of the inner ear.

💭 Cognitive Decline and Dementia: Although the relationship is not entirely understood, hearing loss has been linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

😷 Chronic Kidney Disease: The kidneys and the inner ear have similar structural and functional characteristics, and damage to one can affect the other.

😢 Depression and Anxiety: Hearing loss can lead to social isolation, which in turn can cause depression and anxiety.

💃 Balance Disorders: Hearing loss, especially when associated with inner ear disorders, can lead to balance problems and an increased risk of falls.

The good news: Delta Dental of Arkansas members have access to a discount hearing program through a partnership with Amplifon Hearing Health Care. The program includes discount hearing testing and hearing aids at one of more than 5,500 network providers nationwide. https://bit.ly/3kWmnWp

This is the last week to apply for a grant from the Delta Dental Institute . Up to $1 million is available for innovative projects that seek to inspire K-12 students to pursue careers in oral health. Friday, May 31, is the deadline. We'd love to see Arkansas organizations among the grantees.

Apply to the Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund by May 31

The Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund invests up to $1 million annually in comprehensive solutions, innovative pilots, and scalable models that inspire school-aged children from historically underrepresented groups to pursue a career in oral health.

https://ow.ly/xqzy50QUlAr

We are closed today in observance of Memorial Day.

We're heading into a long weekend, which marks the beginning of summer. Spoiler alert: Kids are at higher risk for cavities in the summer. Think lazy days, lots of ice cream and sugary beverages, disrupted brushing and flossing routines--and you get the picture.

Here are a few fun ways to keep a spotlight on oral hygiene each day.

Yesterday, we announced the launch of the new Dental Clinic Playbook (see previous post); today, we'll give you a peek inside.

This one-of-a-kind resource, a collaboration between our and the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, is a roadmap for low-cost and charitable dental clinics on how to build capacity and deliver oral health care to underserved Arkansas.

Ready for more? Download your free copy at https://bit.ly/3Kd2zv9.

The Great Reveal!

Today, we officially introduced the Dental Clinic Playbook for 3rd Party Billing.
It’s a one-of-its-kind, free resource to help charitable and low-cost dental clinics build capacity and bring more healthy smiles to underserved Arkansans.

The guide was developed during a year-long partnership between our and the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute Winthrop Rockefeller Institute.

Two WRI team members came to our office today and presented it to our entire staff. You could hear the proverbial pin drop as Payton Christenberry described the collaboration and brainstorming sessions that involved representatives from 10 charitable dental clinics, industry experts and countless sticky notes.

We are immensely proud of the result, and we’re offering it to you for free viewing, downloading and implementation. You can start now. https://bit.ly/3Kd2zv9

Congratulations to one of our grantees, Centro Hispano En Arkansas, for winning the Outstanding Business Award in the nonprofit category.

Located in Jonesboro, it has served the Hispanic immigrant community in Northeast Arkansas for 25+ years. It helps newcomers get acclimated in their new home and, thanks to grant support from our foundation, how to do so with healthy smiles.

NEA Outstanding Businesses: El Centro Hispano wins Nonprofit Award - Talk Business & Politics Talk Business & Politics, in partnership with Arvest Bank, recently honored the top businesses in 2024 throughout Northeast Arkansas. Nominees were gathered from around the region and a select panel...

We love all the graduation pix in our newsfeed; if you're celebrating this event in your family, congratulations.

And what kind of gift does your graduate want? We have some ideas:

🎓 A gift certificate for in-office, professional teeth whitening done by your dentist.
🎓 An electric toothbrush for twice-daily thorough brushing.
🎓 A waterflosser for those who don't like to use string floss.
🎓 A mouthguard if your graduate will play sports in college.

Whatever your graduate is doing next, may they reach their goal with a healthy smile.

How did you start your week?

Our President and CEO Kristin Merlo and ED Sharon Lanier, Sharon Lanier, went to Star City today to tour the dental clinic at the Star City School District. Dr. Terri Eubanks and her team showed them around and discussed the challenges of providing dental care in remote, rural parts of the state.

A dental clinic like this one could offer one solution. It is part of the school-based health center funded and operated by Mainline Health Systems, Inc. with support from our foundation.

Mainline runs multiple school-based dental clinics in the southeast parts of Arkansas. For many communities, they are the only dental provider to offer parents and students an equitable way to access oral healthcare.

It was an inspiring visit and we can't wait to visit other grantee partners.

Whoa! Just as the work week seems to be quietly petering out, THIS news arrives:

Our own Niki Carter, DMD, MPH, took and passed the American Association of Dental Consultants certification exam during the organization's Spring 2024 Workshop this week. Only two—that's two (2)—dentists were certified in the country (as in, the entire nation!) this year.

Every AADC-certified dental consultant in Arkansas works for Delta Dental of Arkansas, and this is a big deal. Congratulations to Dr. Carter, the dental director of our Professional Relations (PR) team.

You can tell we're proud and excited. It has been a stellar week for PR, our employees who support our dental provider network: First their leadership involvement in the recent AFMC Annual Billing Conference (see yesterday's post), and now Dr. Carter's achievement!

We salute our employees who advance their professional credentials and expertise to enhance their service to our network dentists. Thank you!

Only 2 weeks left!

May 31 is the deadline to apply for a grant from the Delta Dental Institute . https://bit.ly/3RTcQSa

This grant supports projects that inspire K-12 students from historically underrepresented groups to pursue a career in oral health.

For example, projects that seek

🏁 to address the lack of awareness of oral health workforce careers in historically underrepresented groups
🏁 to increase the supply of diverse candidates for oral health workforce careers
🏁 to address the obstacles faced by those from historically underrepresented communities in pursuing oral health careers.

We'd love to see Arkansas organizations among the grant winners.

Showing off the work of our Professional Relations team! This is our fabulous group of employees who serve our dental provider network.

At the recent Annual Billing Conference for all Arkansas Medicaid providers, they detailed the resources available from Delta Dental of Arkansas to make the Medicaid billing process easier.

Our own Tondelayo Wesley-Wayne Tprovided specifics during the conference's panel discussion, an event highlight.

The conference is hosted each year by the AFMC Medicaid Management Information Sytem to facilitate access to resources for Medicaid health and dental care professionals and educate billing staff about Medicaid policy, billing requirements and claim-processing.

If you attended, thank you.

Before there was Santa Claus, there was St. Nicholas, the pious, 3rd-century Bishop of Myra (Greece).

He was known for selling his belongings and giving the money to the poor, often leaving coins in people's shoes. You see the connection to the modern-day stocking tradition?

Over time, his legacy would be celebrated in many European countries each December 6, St. Nicholas Day, with children leaving their shoes or boots by the front door at night and finding them filled with sweets, nuts and oranges the next day.

We love oranges as smile-friendly stocking stuffers because of their high Vitamin C content for healthy gums. Enjoy one today. https://bit.ly/3xPwVNu