by Heartland Dental opens new offices and affiliates with office in Pennsylvania
Heartland Dental announced the opening of several new full-service, state-of-the-art family dental offices, including:
- Greer Family Dental Care in Greer, S.C.
- Family Dental of Fort Myers in Fort Myers, Fla.
- Broadlands Complete Dental in Ashburn, Va.
- Complete Dental of OKC in Oklahoma City, Okla.
In addition, Heartland Dental recently affiliated with Som N. Gupta, DDS, Sumit Gupta, DDS and their team members at Verona Dental Care in Verona, Pa.
New gaming app inspires kids to brush for two minutes
The Ad Council (New York, N.Y.) and the Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives (Arlington, Va.) announced the release of the new mobile gaming app, Toothsavers, available online and for Android and iOS devices. Created on behalf of the Kids’ Healthy Mouths campaign, the free mobile game is the first developed in-house by the Ad Council – the nation’s largest producer of public service advertising. The app inspires kids to brush their teeth for two minutes, twice a day by enlisting them in rescuing friendly fairy tale characters from an evil, cavity-creating sorceress who cast a wicked teeth-rotting spell on the kingdom.
Toothsavers includes three key features:
- The kids, or “heroes,” can save 10 characters in a fairy tale kingdom from an evil, cavity-creating sorceress.
- The two-player version of the game allows for kids to “brush” the teeth of their friends and parents when the mobile device is held up to their mouths.
- The app also offers a real-life toothbrushing companion for kids and parents to keep track of their brushing progress, as well as morning and nighttime reminders.
Dental charity reaches $250M milestone
Through its flagship Donated Dental Services (DDS) program, Dental Lifeline Network (DLN) (Denver, Colo.) (formerly the National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped) and its partner organizations have provided dental treatment to 120,000 people. Funding, which reached a milestone of $250 million, comes from a variety of sources, including state governments, foundations, dental organizations, and corporate and individual donors. DDS, which serves all 50 states and the District of Columbia, is a charitable affiliate of the American Dental Association (ADA) (Chicago, Ill.). DDS provides a national safety net to people with special needs who cannot afford care. Donated by more than 15,000 dentists and 3,600 laboratories nationwide, treatment through DDS is comprehensive, unlike care provided through many other dental charities.
WA State Dental Assoc launches referral program for children
The Washington State Dental Association (WSDA) (Seattle, Wash.) established a toll free number and website to help parents connect their children to local dentists that accept their children’s insurance. This initiative, called the Dental Referral Program for Children, coincides with the January 1, 2014 implementation of mandatory pediatric dental coverage for all children in Washington state. Washington and Nevada are the only two states in the nation that require all children to have a dental benefit as part of the Affordable Care Act changes. This means routine exams, cleanings, x-rays, and fillings will be covered by their health plan or a stand-alone dental plan. WSDA wants to ensure that those who want to use this benefit can do so. Parents can call 877-239-1011 or visit www.wsda.org/children to participate in the program.
