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April 19, 2024

DELTA DENTAL PLAN OF ILLINOIS PROVIDES GRANT TO MERCER COUNTY "TOOTHMOBILE"

Partnership Will Help Increase Oral Health Access

February 6, 2004, LISLE, Ill. - In an effort to improve access to oral health to children who need it, Delta Dental Plan of Illinois (DDPIL) today announced it is providing a grant to Mercer County Health Department's "Toothmobile", a mobile dental clinic. The Toothmobile visits Mercer County schools to provide preventive dental care, such as exams, cleanings, sealants and fluoride, to low-income children and others in need of dental care.

February 6, 2004, LISLE, Ill. - In an effort to improve access to oral health to children who need it, Delta Dental Plan of Illinois (DDPIL) today announced it is providing a grant to Mercer County Health Department's "Toothmobile", a mobile dental clinic. The Toothmobile visits Mercer County schools to provide preventive dental care, such as exams, cleanings, sealants and fluoride, to low-income children and others in need of dental care.

"While our main focus is administering dental benefit plans, we feel strongly about promoting the importance of good oral health and have a serious commitment to improving oral health access and education," said Dr. Robert E. Dennison, President and Chief Executive Officer of DDPIL. "Since we are headquartered and do business in Illinois, we are particularly concerned about the people in our own backyard. The Mercer County Toothmobile is a wonderful opportunity for us to help some of the people in Illinois who need it most, especially children. We're delighted to partner with the Mercer County Health Department to support their good work and assist in improving oral health access."

"By improving access to oral health care, especially among children, we can focus on prevention and hopefully, help establish healthy habits and prevent more serious problems," said Lynne Schweppe, Registered Nurse and Oral Health Coordinator. "We are thrilled that Delta Dental is partnering with us. Partnerships such as these among the community, dental professionals and private sector will help to improve access to oral health care for those who need it most."

Good oral health is key to overall health. Through regular checkups and cleanings, serious health problems are more likely to be detected early and treated more affordably. Dental and oral diseases are among the most preventable conditions. But, untreated dental disease may lead to serious infections, disfigurements and death in the case or oral cancer. Numerous physical and mental illnesses, such as diabetes, bulimia, heart disease, oral cancer and periodontal disease, can be detected and treated by an exam of the mouth, throat and neck. The majority of systemic diseases have oral manifestations, which means dentists may often be the first doctor to catch symptoms.

The Toothmobile will help children who otherwise may not have visited the dentist receive much needed care. It provides school-based dental services to children through Kidcare, Medicaid, or private pay clients in need of a dentist. Referrals for more extensive care are made with appropriate follow up. The Toothmobile, decorated with graphic artwork designs using ideas from school children, made its public debut at the Mercer County Fair in July 2003. The unit is a 36 foot-long Winnebago, fully equipped with dental chairs, x-ray, and other equipment.

Schweppe adds, "If it wasn't for the commitment of the dentists, Dr. Charles E. Johnson, Dr. Leanne P. Thatcher, and Dr. Regina Erickson, and that of their dental assistants at Milan Dental Center of Milan and Aledo, we would not be able to provide service."

February is National Children's Dental Health Month.

DDPIL is a not-for-profit dental service corporation specializing in providing comprehensive, easy-to-use and cost-effective benefits to over one million employees and family members in more than 3,000 employee groups throughout Illinois. Based in Lisle, Ill., DDPIL offers an array of extensive nationwide network-based managed fee-for-service, PPO and dental HMO plans.