Category Archives: Holidays

Going Green with Delta Dental

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DD_Logo_pms360_RGB_3inWhen you think of green and Delta Dental, you might think of the green that has long been a featured part of the logo. But on Earth Day, it’s worth pointing out that Delta Dental companies have taken steps to ensure their business initiatives are green as well.

Delta Dental companies are moving their network provider offices from paper claims to electronic submissions, which helps save paper and reimburses their dentists faster. They also encourage their subscribers to go paperless by signing up for electronic dental benefits statements. A few even provide incentives – such as guaranteeing patient eligibility – for the subscribers who choose to perish paper.

Member companies use blog posts and pins on social media sites like Pinterest to share ideas with their environmentally-conscious consumers about reusing old toothbrushes for garden stakes or as cleaning tools, or turning empty tubes of toothpaste into a pencil holder.

Of course, corporations ought to practice what they preach. One Delta Dental company saved almost $60,000 by eliminating disposable paper cups and retrofitting light fixtures at its headquarters as part of its “green program initiative.”1

Like a lot of corporations in the 21st century, Delta Dental is always searching for ways to improve business efficiency and sustainability. We feel that corporate social responsibility these days must include going green.

1  Environmental & Energy Management News. Delta Dental Racks Up Savings with Varied Environmental Efforts. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/11/12/delta-dental-racks-up-savings-with-varied-environmental-efforts/

Top 10 Fright Night Facts

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Did you know Americans consumed 24.7 pounds of candy per capita in 2010?1 That’s a lot of sugar to potentially cause cavities if left on the teeth of boys and ghouls too long. After eating candy, Delta Dental recommends a thorough brushing of teeth (or at least a big drink of water).

Since Halloween is a favorite holiday of many Americans, Delta Dental has compiled a list of the 10 best terrifically terrifying truths:

1. Americans purchase nearly 600 million pounds of candy for Halloween each year.2

2. Major pumpkin-producing states like California, Illinois, New York and Ohio helped America grow 1.1 billion pounds of pumpkins in 2010.3

3. Sixty percent of dentists polled for Delta Dental’s Tricky Treats survey said they give out candy on Halloween. Of the dentists who dispense candy, 79 percent choose chocolate, while just 13 percent hand out varieties like hard candy or lollipops. This confectionary choice is no accident. Chocolate dissolves quickly in the mouth and can be eaten easily, which decreases the amount of time sugar stays in contact with teeth.4

4. Americans spent nearly $6.9 billion on Halloween costumes, decorations and “entertainment”.2

5. About 50 percent of Americans decorated their homes or yards, 44 percent dressed in a costume, 34 percent attended a Halloween party and 23 percent visited a haunted house in 2011.2

6. In 2011, the three most popular costumes worn by children were Harry Potter, princess and Green Lantern. Classic characters like Winnie the Pooh, Elmo and the Smurfs were also among the top 10 favorites. Captain America, Green Lantern and Where’s Waldo were popular costume choices for adults.5

7. Nearly one out of four dentists said they do not hand out anything on Halloween, while five percent attack the holiday head on by handing out toothbrushes.4

8. Not everyone gives out candy on Halloween. Ideas include toothbrushes, pretzels, fruit (such as raisins), modeling clay and books.4

9. An estimated 41 million children between the ages of five and 14 went trick-or-treating across the U. S. in 2010.1

10. Candy corn, a popular treat commonly associated with Halloween, was created in the 1880s and popularized by farmers who appreciated its resemblance to kernels of corn. 6

To learn more about what dentists give out at Halloween and get their best advice for keeping kids’ teeth healthy, please visit http://www.trickytreats.org.

1 United State Census Bureau, 2010 Census. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml. Accessed August 2012.

2 National Retail Federation. Consumers Eager to Have a Frightfully Good Time This Halloween, According to NRF. http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=News&op=viewlive&sp_id=1197. Accessed August 2012.

3 USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/VegeSumm/VegeSumm-01-27-2011.pdf. Accessed August 2012.

4 Delta Dental conducted the 2011 Tricky Treats Halloween survey. Delta Dental network dentists were invited via e-mail to participate in the web-based survey. For results based on the total sample of 253, the margin of error is ±6.15 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

5 Sortprice.com. Hollywood Blockbusters & Traditional Favorites Dominate SortPrice.com’s Annual Top 10 Halloween Costume Lists for 2011. http://www.sortprice.com/docs/Halloween-Popular-Costumes-for-2011. Accessed August 2012.

6 National Confectioners Association. Candy Corn. http://www.candyusa.com/FunStuff/CandyType.cfm?ItemNumber=1582. Accessed August 2012.

Top 5 Teeth-Friendly Stocking Stuffers

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As parents begin buying stocking stuffers this Christmas season, Delta Dental has a few suggestions for items that will make kids (and their dentists) smile while protecting those precious pearly whites.

  1. Xylitol-sweetened Chewing Gum: Sure, everyone loves some good peanut brittle around the holidays. But there is a sweet treat that can also improve children’s oral health. If brushing with fluoride toothpaste isn’t practical, chewing sugar-free gum after a meal stimulates saliva to buffer the acid and helps dislodge food particles from the mouth. Gum containing the natural sweetener, Xylitol, is a particularly good option since studies have shown that consistent exposure to Xylitol can help prevent tooth decay.
  2. Flavored Toothpaste: Children can tire of brushing with mint or bubblegum-flavored toothpastes. Fortunately, those aren’t the only toothpaste options on the market. Uniquely-flavored toothpaste varieties like bacon, chocolate, cupcake, ice cream– even pickle – can provide a change of pace and get kids excited again about the prospect of brushing their teeth. Always make sure the toothpaste contains fluoride to fight tooth decay.
  3. Flavored Floss: No oral hygiene routine is complete without flossing after brushing. Floss is normally pretty plain, but it doesn’t have to be. Like toothpaste, there is bacon, cupcake or pickled-flavored floss to match. If those flavors don’t do the trick, there are also mint, banana and cinnamon-flavored options for kids to enjoy.
  4. Fun Toothbrush Holder/Toothbrush: Another way to get children brushing is by stuffing the stocking with fun oral health gifts like robot, tree or animal-shaped toothbrush holders that stick to walls. Kids like the characters and the holder provides a valuable and sanitary storage spot for their toothbrushes and toothpaste. There, the kids can place their toothbrush with a princess, race car or superhero-shaped handle. There are even battery-powered “smart” toothbrushes that light up or play tunes to let kids know how long they need to brush.
  5. Sports Mouthguard: A recent study of America’s children’s oral health by Delta Dental1 found that 70 percent of kids do not wear a mouthguard during soccer, basketball or baseball/softball practices or games.  Mouthguards should be worn during practices and games by kids playing contact sports to reduce the risk of injury to the mouth, teeth and gums. The quality of the mouthguard should be the primary concern. There are a number of options at sporting goods stores including off-the-shelf sized and boil in water and mold into place. The ones that are custom fit by a dentist are the best. There are plenty of fun colors and designs available to coordinate with a uniform of any color.