Sharing Smiles Statewide with 340,600 Toothbrushes Donated in 2022

Posted on December 15, 2022 in Giving Back

Since 2010, Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation has been sharing smiles with Iowans through toothbrush donations and oral health education programs.

This past year, the Foundation donated 340,600 toothbrushes to Iowa nonprofits, I-Smile/I-Smile Silver and the Gives Smiles programs. The 2022 donation brings the program’s overall total to more than 3.3 million toothbrushes donated since 2010.

FUN FACT: If lined up end-to-end, 3.3 million toothbrushes would span more than 310 miles or the entire length of Iowa!

The routines behind developing a healthy smile and better overall health start with taking two minutes twice a day to brush your teeth. The Foundation’s goal in providing toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss throughout the state is to grow awareness about good oral hygiene and its impacts on overall health.

Who receives toothbrush donations?

The Foundation ensures that oral health education components accompany toothbrush donations. Each year, organizations from across the state apply to receive toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss, to enhance lessons about proper oral health care with Iowans of all ages.

Here are a few examples of organizations that received toothbrush donations in 2022.

• Seasons Center, Spencer, IA – a behavioral health center in northwest Iowa used a toothbrush donation to educate clients on the importance of oral hygiene and the links between good oral care and mental/emotional health.
• Focus On Diabetes, Waterloo, IA – a health screening and education event in the Cedar Valley used a donation of toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss to educate patients on the connections between diabetes and increased risk of poor oral health, such as dental decay and tooth loss.
• Head Start programs, statewide –Head Start programs across Iowa received toothbrush donations to brush as part of their daily routine and to discuss the “how-to” of good oral health care with the young children in their programs. 

How to participate 

Applications for the toothbrush donation program are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Iowa nonprofit organizations may request toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss needed to support their oral health education programs on the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation website.