What Employers Need To Know About The Child Dental Crisis
Lunching with an acquaintance at a local Vietnamese favorite, the conversation narrowed into the work we do to "give back". I shared my experience in working with Eastern European orphanages, and more specifically, with the dental decay epidemic that has ravaged the children there.
"Volunteer dentists showed up to help the worst cases...the children who were in significant pain, many with infection. It was purely an "extraction" effort...just forceps, Novocain, and antibiotics. I can still picture the old green Coke bottles filled with discarded rotten teeth that testified to the enormity of the problem." I explained.
My lunch partner asked, "Why Eastern Europe?"
I explained my "calling" to that area of the world and how it came about.
"You know, there's a dental crisis right here in America. In fact, it's epidemic in our local communities." He replied.
Feeling a bit conflicted, I just let his words resonate in my mind.
In 2007, when VANTREO was established, we knew we wanted to be not only "the best in the world" but also "the best for the world". It was the reason we became a B-Corp. Our "give back" would be focused on empowering the next generation, specifically children.
VANTREO supported dozens of non-profits in our early years. Non-profits committed to supporting underprivileged kids in everything from education, medical services, and gang prevention. However, we found it difficult to see our impact when the give-back was so diffused. Our VANTREO team liked the idea of solving a problem that aligned with the work we already do...work we could "take to another level"!
We sell dental insurance. Why not take that to a whole new level?
We did our research.
Every day right here in our local communities, thousands of children wake up with the pain and humiliation of tooth decay...embarrassment and distracting pain which limits their daily activities and ability to focus. These kids miss over 51 million hours of school each year.
The solution lies in "prevention" and the financial support required to educate parents and to help meet the dental needs of children whose parents don't have dental insurance and/or who can't afford dental care.
VANTREO is providing both and is partnering with our clients and insurance carriers to multiply the effort. Check out...What Employers Need To Know About The Child Dental Crisis.
If you offer dental insurance, either group or voluntary, thank you! Your people are more likely to go to the dentist (and send their children to the dentist) if they've already paid for or contributed to dental insurance. And a dollar spent on cleanings and X-rays can save $50 on a more time-consuming and expensive procedure in the future!
VANTREO is here to help. Please share What Employers Need To Know About The Child Dental Crisis. We will be sending out "preventative" educational information that you can share with your employees.
If you would like more information on this topic or have any insurance or risk management questions at all, just let us know. Reply here.