Delta Dental of Missouri Receives Communitas Award for Corporate Social Responsibility

The state’s leading dental health provider, Delta Dental of Missouri, recently received a Communitas Award, which is a bro bono recognition program of the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. Thirty exceptional international businesses, organizations and individual were recognized for excellence in community service and corporate social responsibility.

Communitas, which is Latin for people helping people, defines the spirit of the award. Delta Dental of Missouri was awarded for the giving of its resources to benefit communities statewide last year through its Land of Smiles and Winter Zoo programs, “Delta Difference” Student Scholarship, futureFOCUS 2010 Seminar and its support of Give Kids A Smile and Delta Dental Health Theatre.

Monica Green, manager of corporate marketing and communications for Delta Dental, said that they found out about the award from the Hauser group, who said they thought that Delta Dental would be a good match for the award. So, Delta Dental applied and won in its first year.

“They (the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals) honor achievement with partnerships in community organizations that show corporate social responsibility in the community,” Green said. “There are several different categories to be nominated in, and we received the award in the social responsibility.”

Approximately 70,000 Missouri children from more than 300 elementary schools have been impacted by the oral and overall health messages of the “Land of Smiles” program. Delta Dental’s fun-loving characters (Tooth Wizard, Panda and PlaqueMan) teach children about brushing and flossing properly and visiting their “best friend,” the dentist. They also discuss what foods are good and bad for teeth and overall health, and the importance of eating right, exercising daily and making healthy choices. At the end of the interactive show, each participating child receives a Healthy Smiles “Certoothicate” and dental health supplies. Schools also are given a “Land of Smiles” treasure chest with a curriculum kit for teachers to use to reinforce the messages of the live program.

“We only visit Missouri schools (with the Land of Smiles program) every other year because the demand is so great. We visit about 85 percent of the communities in Missouri every two years,” Green said. 

Delta Dental also joined forces with the Saint Louis Zoo to host “Delta Dental Winter Zoo” to teach 12,800 children and families about the importance of maintaining a healthy smile. The organization hosted futureFOCUS 2010: Health Leadership and Vitality, a highly successful free seminar that helped 450 HR executives, benefits and wellness managers, benefits consultants and brokers and healthcare professionals successfully navigate current and future health industry challenges and opportunities. And, the company presented a first-year dental student at the University of Missouri—Kansas City School of Dentistry with its “Delta Difference” student scholarship.

Delta Dental of Missouri also is the leading sponsor of the Give Kids A Smile organization, which last year alone provided 1,088 children with nearly $800,000 worth of free comprehensive dental care. In addition to its financial support, Delta Dental manages marketing, patient recruitment, public relations and hosts the entertainment area of the biannual clinics, helping to put children at ease and establish a positive association with going to the dentist.

Delta Dental also continues to serve as the primary, permanent corporate sponsor of the Delta Dental Health Theatre. The theatre attracts 10,000 local children and families annually and offers a unique blend of fun, entertainment and education to promote healthy life choices.

“We’re very honored to receive this award and we do take very seriously our responsibility to work in the community and our mission is to improve oral health and wellness in the community,” Green said. “To receive this recognition is truly an honor and to know what we are doing does make a difference in the community.”

To learn more visit www.amcpros.com. To get a complete list of winners, visit www.communitasawards.com.

To learn more about Delta Dental of Missouri, visit www.deltadentalmo.com.