Renaissance Dental and Brush! Expand Program To Help Thousands Of Children

February is recognized as Children’s Dental Health Month, but Renaissance Dental, a leading ancillary insurance carrier of customizable dental and vision plans, knows that improving the oral health of kids is a year-round endeavor. “Renaissance is dedicated to expanding the work we do to help children in need of dental care, which is why we continue to fund Brush!, a literacy-based oral-health education program at Head Start programs that serves more than 100,000 kids around the country,” said Robert P. Mulligan, president and chief executive officer of Renaissance Dental. According to research from the National Association of Dental Plans, only 50 percent of American children over the age of two visit their dentist twice a year for routine exams. Renaissance hopes to increase that percentage by expanding Brush! programs in parts of the country most in need of support. “The work we do through our Brush! program is invaluable for the educators we train and the children we serve. And we wouldn’t be able to do it without the support of Renaissance,” said Dr. Holli Seabury, McMillen Health CEO. “Thanks to Renaissance, we’ve been able to expand in states like Georgia, where we face some of our toughest challenges.” Brush! has expanded to six new locations in Georgia this year, almost doubling the number of children who are part of the program in one of the country’s worst states for children’s oral health. Throughout the year, children in the Brush! program receive weekly lessons on the importance of good oral health. Additionally, the program has a strong parent education component that includes a monthly newsletter that teaches parents important hygiene tips, as well as the importance of reading with their children to aid the development of language skills. It also emphasizes the significance of healthy eating habits at the family table.