DentalPlans.com Paying Smiles Forward to Benefit Operation Smile

PLANTATION, Fla. – June 1, 2011

Around the world, approximately one in every 600 children is born each year with a cleft lip and/or cleft palate. And, one in 10 of children born with a cleft die before their first birthday.

But, in as few as 45 minutes and with as little as $240, a single surgery can heal that child’s smile, restoring long-term health and removing eating, speech and social difficulties.

Beginning in June, DentalPlans.com will work to heal the smiles of more than 40 children around the world by teaming up with Operation Smile and donating a minimum of $10,000. This philanthropic effort to transform smiles will include marketing and social media efforts to encourage people to pay a smile forward.

Donation campaigns will launch in June and coincide with National Smile Month, an internationally recognized event promoting oral health. Efforts will include:

• "Plan to Save a Smile" – A portion of the proceeds from every plan sold by DentalPlans.com in June will go toward the $10,000 donation to Operation Smile.
• "Share a Smile, Save a Smile" – A contest for people to share a favorite photo of a child’s smile on DentalPlans.com’s Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/dentalplans from Friday, June 3 to Sunday, June 12. Fans can vote on the photo they "like" most until Monday, June 20 and for each photo uploaded, DentalPlans.com will donate $1 to Operation Smile. The winner will also receive a free discount dental plan.
• "Share a Smile, #SaveaSmile" – Starting Monday, June 6 on Twitter, DentalPlans.com will donate $1 to Operation Smile every time someone shares what makes them smile with @dentalplanscom and includes the hashtag #saveasmile. The Twitter campaign, at www.twitter.com/dentalplanscom, will last until 10 children’s smiles are saved (equal to $2,400).

"As a company that has put a smile on the face of Americans of all ages with easy access to savings on dental care, we’re honored to be joining a global organization that impacts the lives of so many by healing children’s smiles," said Kristen Reineke, VP of Marketing for DentalPlans.com.

An international children’s medical charity, Operation Smile provides free reconstructive surgery for children born with facial deformities such as cleft lips and cleft palates by mobilizing more than 5,000 volunteer medical professionals from 76 countries. And while only half of all Americans have access to employer-sponsored dental benefits, many people turn to DentalPlans.com to save money on their dental care through discount dental plans — an alternative to dental insurance.

DentalPlans.com will team up with Operation Smile throughout the year to work towards its donation goal with additional marketing strategies and ways for people to heal children’s smiles.

Visit DentalPlans.com and Operation Smile online for more information at www.DentalPlans.com and www.OperationSmile.org.

About DentalPlans.com
A one-stop online shop to save on dental care, DentalPlans.com connects individuals, families and groups to significant savings on procedures such as cleanings, braces and root canals. Visitors can compare discount dental plans by ZIP code, view sample savings and find nearby dentists. The company offers affordable alternatives to dental insurance through more than 40 of leading discount dental plans. For media inquiries, contact 954-668-2130 or email [email protected].

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For more information:

Call 833-742-5097 or Email [email protected]