Delta Dental Launches Hispanic Dental Wellness and Education Initiative in Dallas-Fort Worth

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) September 03, 2014

Delta Dental Insurance Company today announced the launch of its Hispanic dental wellness and education initiative in Dallas-Fort Worth as part of its continued commitment to helping underserved families and children in Texas.

Last year, the company introduced the initiative in Houston with El Ratoncito Pérez, the tooth fairy's Hispanic counterpart. The company has once again teamed up with the popular character to educate the Dallas-Forth Worth community about the importance of good dental hygiene.

Statistics show that children in the U.S. lose nearly 750,000 school hours each year due to dental problems. In addition, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, untreated tooth decay is nearly twice as common among Hispanic primary school children as non-Hispanic whites.

"Oral health problems persist among children – especially Hispanic children – even though tooth decay is largely preventable," said Rocio Haskell, Hispanic marketing manager for Delta Dental. "With El Ratoncito Pérez, we're able to provide much-needed dental resources and education in a way that's culturally relevant to the Hispanic community."

In Latin America and Spain, the tooth fairy is replaced with the centuries-old tradition of El Ratoncito Pérez, who rewards children with a small token when they lose a tooth.

As part of the outreach in Texas, Delta Dental and El Ratoncito Pérez will participate in community events and provide dental screenings and dental health information to Hispanic families.

"We're delighted to expand the initiative to Dallas-Fort Worth and continue to make children, parents and grandparents alike smile with this beloved character," Haskell said.

For more information on children's preventive dental care, please visit Delta Dental's website: http://www.mysmilekids.com/espanol/index.html

About Delta Dental
Delta Dental Insurance Company, along with several other Delta Dental companies under common management, collectively provides dental benefits plans to 27 million people in 15 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The group of companies donated more than $4 million in 2013 in support of programs focusing on prevention of dental disease, access to care, advancement in dental science and exploring the connections between oral and overall health. All are part of the Delta Dental Plans Association (DDPA), based in Oak Brook, Ill., whose member companies collectively cover 63 million of the 166 million people nationwide with private dental insurance.

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