Date Archives June 2015

3 Tips for Summer Smiles

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3 ways to help your family enjoy summer without sacrificing their smile:

School is out for summer! From family road trips to sports and sleepovers, kids have the freedom to enjoy a much-needed vacation.

While it’s fine to slack off on school year structure, it’s important keep some systems in place. Help your family enjoy summer without sacrificing their smile 

  1. Keep it consistent.

While they may try to convince you otherwise, kids do better with a routine. It’s fine to bend bedtime rules (it’s summer after all), just make sure you and your little ones are getting at least eight hours of shut-eye per night. Sleep is crucial to your mood, body, and smile.

Hold on to healthy habits like brushing and flossing. Let kids pick their favorite summer activities, not whether or not they brush their teeth. All it takes is two minutes, two times a day.

  1. Begin with a brush.

One of the best parts about summer is sleeping in sans snooze button. Unsurprisingly, teens sleep more during the summer than they do during the school year. As soon as you wake up from extended summer slumber, book it to the bathroom and put the pedal to the paste. Here’s why:

While you sleep, your mouth produces less saliva and dries out. That decrease in spit equals an increase in bacteria. So, once you wake, brush your teeth and tongue to get rid of the influx of nighttime bacteria.

  1. Make sweet swaps.

Snow cones, ice cream, and popsicles are just a few beloved summer delights. While we invite icy indulgences on occasion, sugary treats can be harsh to your teeth. Instead of shunning sweets all summer, why not give your favorites a makeover?

Trick your taste buds and treat your teeth with alternatives like this creamy coconut ice cream, or use fresh fruit to make flavorful frozen popsicles.

 This summer let your worries go…not your dental routine. Enjoy your vacation!

Get Insurance Aware: 3 Benefits to Benefits

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Get the scoop on why dental benefits can benefits us for National Insurance Awareness Day. Category: individual insurance

*Updated April 2021

June is filled with some of our favorite holidays: National Smile Month, Men’s Health Month, Employee Wellness Month, and Father’s Day. Our favorite celebration this month is probably a day you’ve never heard of – National Insurance Awareness Day, which falls on June 28. Take a few minutes to become informed about insurance.

Why you should literally put your money where your mouth is:

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of care. 

Most types of policies, like health insurance or car insurance, focus on the worst-case scenario. It’s hard to imagine your auto insurance covering routine maintenance, such as an oil change. Contrarily, dental plans focus on preventive care. The reason for that is most dental problems and diseases are nearly 100% preventable. Regular check-ups allow your dentist to check for early signs of more serious problems. Finally, it’s important to remember that at-home oral hygiene habits are just as important as regular check-ups.

Anything can happen.

While it’s true dental insurance focuses on preventive services, emergencies can happen. You never know when a chipped tooth or broken jaw will strike. There are many types of dental plans to fit you, your lifestyle, and your budget. Shop around for a plan that’s perfect for you.

A penny saved is a penny earned.

Would you rather pay $125 for a dental cleaning or $0? We’re fairly confident we can guess your answer. Most dental plans encourage preventive care by covering 100% of the costs of initial exams, cleanings, X-rays, sealants, and fluoride treatments. 

Pat yourself on the back – you’re officially dental insurance aware!

Looking for information on your specific plan? Click here to log into your member portal. 

Healthy Smile Hack: Summer Dentist Appointments

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Summer break is the prime time to send every family member to the dentist. Find out why:

Recognize this short list of smart strategies?

  • Arrive at the DMV the minute it opens.
  • Buy next year’s holiday decorations the day after Christmas.
  • Cook meals in bulk and freeze the rest.

Well, here’s another life hack: Schedule a dentist appointment this summer. Summer break is the prime time to send every family member to the dentist. Why?

It’s easy.

Your summer schedule may be filled with camps and sports, but it’s more open than other times of the year. And, less chaos equals more time. Your kids won’t miss school and you won’t miss work. 

Tip: Does your child start the school year at a different time than most? Avoid the back-to-school rush – book the appointment around other schools’ start sessions.

It’s satisfying.

We all know how good it feels to cross one more errand off our to-do list. And while you’re at it, schedule any other routine appointments you or your family may need.

It’s necessary.

Your child may have indulged in eating plenty of summer sugary treats during the break making them more prone to cavities.

Have a smile-filled, stress-free summer!

Teens and the Advantages of Risk-Taking

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Parenting a teenager can be tricky. Try to remember teens are expected to take risks. Guide them to take the right ones.

If you think your teenager is dramatic, you’re probably right: dramatic brain changes experienced during adolescence may explain increased exploration and risk-taking. It’s normal (and necessary) for teenagers to take risks.

Adolescents are going to take risks – plain and simple. As a parent, it’s your job to help them find healthy and safe ways to take risks.

Prevent teen tooth troubles – encourage healthy risks and help them steer clear of unhealthy ones:

Go For It: Healthy Risks

Healthy risk-taking has a chance for failure, but can also be rewarding and surprisingly safe. Teens can step out of their comfort zone in artistic activities, volunteer opportunities, and sports.

Teenagers have the opportunity to thrive in athletic environments. Through sports, adolescents are able to foster friendships, stay in shape, and develop leadership skills.

Make sports safer for your teen – buy him or her a mouthguard. Contact sports, such as football, lacrosse, and hockey, require protection. Don’t let teens risk their smile – find out what sports require mouthguards.

Don’t Chance It: An Unhealthy Risk

Don’t be so negative about negative risk-taking – not all teens regularly repeat unhealthy habits. However, among adolescent health risk behaviors, “regular tobacco use” comes out on top.

Give your teen more reasons to stay away from cigarettes. Smoking negatively affects all parts of your mouth, including:

  • Lips: Over time, smokers develop wrinkles around the lips.
  • Teeth: Cigarettes stain your teeth yellow and make your breath smell.
  • Gums: Smoking contributes to gum disease, often leading to tooth loss.

Parenting a teenager can be tricky. Try to remember that teens are meant to take risks – just make sure he or she is taking the right ones.

 

Dental 911! Coverage and an After-Hours Emergency

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No one wants a knocked-out tooth, but it can happen. Expect the unexpected! In case of (dental) emergency:

No one hopes for a dental emergency, but it can and does happen. Plan ahead for the unexpected. In case of emergency:

  1. Your regular dentist should be your first call. Get your dentist’s phone number now…before an accident happens. Find out how to contact him or her after normal office hours and save it in your cell phone.
  1. Address your pain level as soon as possible by applying a cold compress to reduce swelling and/or any bleeding.
  1. Take your dentist’s advice. You may need to have an emergency office visit.


A dental emergency can take place anywhere. If you happen to be on vacation when a tooth terror strikes, find an in-network dentist in the area. This will ensure lower out-of-pocket costs. Remember – contact your regular dentist first to ensure quick and low-cost care.

To learn how emergency coverage works with your plan, visit our site dedicated to members.

Father’s Day Gifts Guaranteed to Delight Dad

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Dad can benefit from grin-enhancing gifts, but does he actually want them? Yes. Here are 3 unconventional gifts for dad:

With Mother’s Day behind us, it’s time for dads to take center stage on the parental performance. Don’t take the easy road with another tie or set of grill tongs – give him something for his teeth! Why?

Compared to women men are:

  • Less likely to brush their teeth twice a day
  • Less likely to brush their teeth after every meal
  • More likely to develop gum disease
  • More likely to develop oral cancer

Dad can benefit from grin-enhancing gifts, but does he actually want them? The answer is yes.

Here are three unconventional gifts that your dad wants and his smile needs:

1. Electronic Tool
A recent survey revealed 29% of dads want electronics for Father’s Day. Make his smile as healthy as it is handsome with an electronic toothbrush. Check out Oral B’s latest Blue Toothbrush.

2. A Dental Emergency Kit
Do you know a dad who loves to camp and travel?  Nothing can bring even the toughest hiker and traveler to his knees like dental problems when he is hours from a dentist.  This emergency kit contains some basic first aid to help deal with most common dental emergencies until dad can get to a dentist.

3. Father Family Time
The man of the house can’t smile without the members of his household. And, believe it or not, dad wants quality time more than any other gift. An overwhelming 57% of fathers want to something special and simple – to spend the day with their families. Now that’s a statistic worth smiling about!

We hope the dads in your life have a fantastic Father’s Day!

Smiles Throughout History

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Take a few minutes and help us honor National Smile Month by looking back at smiles and pictures throughout the centuries. Have you ever wondered…

  • Why didn’t people smile in old pictures?
  • Who may be responsible for spreading millions of smiles across the globe?
  • When did the phrase “cheese” become a popular expression when posing for pictures?

Special Olympics Wisconsin: Special Smiles for a Special Cause

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Special Olympics Wisconsin

Delta Dental of Wisconsin is all smiles this summer – Special Olympics Wisconsin is back and ready to go for the gold!

Special Olympics Wisconsin (SOWI) is a statewide organization providing athletic training and competition for individuals with intellectual disabilities. SOWI continues to focus on the health of the people it serves, and with the help of Delta Dental Wisconsin, dental health can be a focus too.

In 2002, SOWI sought the help of Delta Dental of Wisconsin to create the Healthy Athlete’s Initiative, which provides screening programs including the Special Smiles program. Special Olympic athletes are given a free oral health screening, fluoride varnish application, education on the importance of good hygiene, and if appropriate for the sport they are participating in, a free mouth guard. In addition, those needing dental care are helped to find a dentist in their area. Delta Dental is proud to partner with Special Olympics on these screening programs offered at both the summer and winter games.

Special Olympics Wisconsin would not be possible without the generous efforts of volunteers, coaches, families, and most importantly, the athletes. 

Want to catch the action this summer? Visit specialolympicswisconsin.org to learn more.