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(HOWARD, SD) – Horizon Health Foundation and Delta Dental of South Dakota are teaming up to decrease cavities and tooth decay in young children. By the time children reach kindergarten, over 40% have cavities and 50% have never seen a dentist. That’s where Horizon Health Care’s Smiles for Miles program steps in.
Seeing a need for pediatric dental care in rural areas, Horizon piloted a children’s oral health campaign, “Smiles for Miles,” in 2018. The Smiles for Miles program is a month-long promotion held at Horizon dental clinics, allowing children ages 0-5 to receive a free dental exam, cleaning, and fluoride treatment during the month of October.
Horizon Health Foundation recently received a $4,770 matching gift from Delta Dental of South Dakota to support Horizon Health Care’s Smiles for Miles program. Combined with First Bank & Trust’s matching gift of $2,500, it provides $7,270 for children in dire need of dental care. All gifts made before the end of October will have double the impact through Delta Dental’s and First Bank & Trust’s matching gifts.
“Dental care is important for kids even at their youngest ages,” said Scott Jones, CEO of Delta Dental of South Dakota. “Baby teeth are important for child development, and we’re happy to help more kids get the care they need.”
During October 2021, Horizon saw 187 patients ages 0-5. Forty-four percent of those patients were new patients and 28% of the children seen had decay identified during the exam.
All eight Horizon locations participate in the promotion, which includes clinics at Martin, Faith, Wessington Springs, Plankinton, De Smet, Howard, Yankton, and Alcester. Patients from Horizon’s other 14 clinic sites and the surrounding communities also participate in the program. Since the program’s conception, 769 children have received free dental care.
“The Smiles for Miles program ensures that children across South Dakota have access to dental care, even in rural communities,” said Michelle Scholtz, Chief Dental Officer. “Early dental visits are important in a child’s development by preventing future oral problems. The earlier a child receives a dental checkup, the more comfortable they’ll be around their dentist and receiving dental care.”
Since the creation of the Smiles for Miles program in 2018, Delta Dental has donated $14,500 to directly help 58 children receive a healthy smile. Smiles for Miles has raised a total of $83,000 from 261 donors across 16 different states, including 52 communities within South Dakota.
The Horizon Health Foundation invites individuals to create “Smiles for Miles” by sponsoring a child through a gift of $264 or $22 per month. To donate, visit the Horizon Health Foundation webpage https://horizonhealthfoundation.com/smiles, Facebook page (Horizon Health Foundation), or call at 605-772-4553.
Delta Dental is a nonprofit oral health company working to improve the oral health of all South Dakotans. In addition to dental benefit plans, Delta Dental of South Dakota provides dental care and oral health education to kids across the state. Delta Dental of South Dakota and Horizon Health Care share a common mission of providing quality care for thousands of South Dakotans, especially in rural and frontier areas.
About Horizon Health Foundation
The Horizon Health Foundation was established in 2016 to ensure rural health care access to those in need and provide funding for Horizon Health Care. Horizon Health Foundation, a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation, seeks through responsible activities to encourage and derive sustaining gift support from current and former patients and interested friends, including corporate entities. The Horizon Health Foundation, operating in coordination with Horizon Health Care, is the duly designated fundraising arm for Horizon Health Care. In the broadest sense, the purpose of the Foundation is to create an awareness of the financial needs of Horizon Health Care, which are not provided by patient charges and to systematically implement plans by which dollar needs can be met.
About Horizon Health Care
For over 40 years, Horizon Health Care has been providing personalized, affordable, high-quality medical, dental and mental health care through a rural, community-based network in South Dakota. Horizon is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that serves the medical, dental and mental health care needs of South Dakotans in rural, medically underserved areas through 110,000 patient visits annually in 32 community health centers in: Aberdeen, Alcester, Bison, Bryant, De Smet, Eagle Butte, Elk Point, Faith, Fort Thompson, Howard, Huron, Isabel, La Plant, Lake Preston, Martin, McIntosh, Mission, Plankinton, Wessington Springs, White River, Woonsocket, and Yankton. For more information please visit www.horizonhealthcare.org.