DELTA DENTAL OF MISSOURI LAUNCHES VIRTUAL LAND OF SMILES® PROGRAM

Delta Dental of Missouri’s Land of Smiles® program, known for visiting hundreds of elementary schools throughout Missouri each year to teach grade-school children good dental health habits, has launched a new virtual experience in response to the continuing impact of COVID-19. The engaging, age-appropriate online program features a vibrant 30-minute video with brand-new Land of Smiles superhero characters, which can be used for students in the classroom and for those involved in partial or full-time virtual learning. More than 100 Missouri schools, including East and West Lane Elementary Schools in Jackson and Clippard and Barbara Blanchard Elementary Schools in Cape Girardeau, have already signed up to take advantage of this free virtual program. Delta Dental of Missouri is continuing to take bookings for its program and encourages schools throughout the state to sign up to access it.

The virtual Land of Smiles experience follows dynamic superhero Captain Super GrinSM, as he defeats his nemesis, Caz CavitySM, with a little help from his sidekicks, Terri Tooth FairySM and ToothpickSM. Throughout the adventure, students learn the importance of brushing teeth twice a day, flossing, eating healthy foods and visiting the dentist regularly. Delta Dental of Missouri offers free “smile bags” to schools for students who participate in the program. Each bag includes a toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss to help students practice the good oral health habits that they learn. Each school is responsible for distributing the bags to participating students who attend school in person or virtually.

“When COVID hit, our team, like the rest of the nation, wasn’t sure what the 2020-2021 school year would look like, so we went to work to develop our virtual Land of Smiles program,” said Rob Goren, president and chief executive officer at Delta Dental of Missouri. “The new characters are a lot of fun and do a fantastic job of encouraging young students to take great care of their growing smiles. We’re pleased that the program has already received rave reviews from students and teachers alike.”

Delta Dental of Missouri will be following federal, state and county guidelines to determine when it is safe to resume its in-person Land of Smiles performances at schools. In the meantime, interested teachers, school nurses and principals can visit www.LandofSmilesProgram.org to preview the free program and request access to it on a date and time that works for their students.