NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (May 31, 2018) – Delta Dental of Tennessee awarded its inaugural Tennessee Smile Power Award to State Representative Charles Sargent during its Smile 180 Five Year Celebration today.
 
Presented by Delta Dental of Tennessee and the Smile180 Foundation, the Tennessee Smile Power Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant positive impact on the oral health of Tennesseans; someone who is a true champion for smiles in our community; someone who understands that the power of a healthy smile can empower others to change their lives.
 
Representative Sargent moved to Nashville in 1970 and Franklin in 1977. He began his public service as a Williamson County Board of Commissioner in 1990. In 1996, he was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 61, Williamson County. Last year, Sargent announced he would not run for reelection.
 
During his 22 years of services, Representative Sargent has been a committed proponent of providing oral health for all Tennesseans. Tennessee is one of three states that doesn’t provide funding for oral health through Medicaid/Medicare.
 
“The Tennessee Dental Safety Net has provided a limited amount of funding for charitable and federally qualified health clinics to reimburse for the extraction of teeth when there is pain. Charles has always understood that people who have had their teeth removed in these situations are left in worse circumstances – if you don’t have teeth, you can’t eat healthy foods, and you can’t smile. Two years ago, Charles helped work in some additional funding to help lower the cost for dentures and partials for these patients,” said Philip Wenk, DDS, President and CEO, Delta Dental of Tennessee. “Charles has been a true champion for the restoration of smiles for over 1100 Tennesseans and many more to come. It is fitting that he is the first recipient of the Tennessee Smile Power Award.”
 
Governor Bill Haslam, in conjunction with the Tennessee Charitable Care Network, has proclaimed June 11-15, 2018, Tennessee Oral Health Smile Power Week. To celebrate, Delta Dental of Tennessee will show off the power of smiles across our state by teaching how important a smile can be to a person’s health, well-being and self-esteem.
 
 
Smile180
Smile180 reflects the transformative power of a healthy smile to turn someone's life around. The Smile180 Foundation supports Tennessee's dental colleges, children's hospitals, free and reduced-cost dental clinics, and other like-minded charities.
 
Delta Dental of Tennessee
Good oral health is essential to a healthy life and Delta Dental of Tennessee makes taking care of your smile easy with access to care, comprehensive benefits, exceptional service, and superior value. To best serve our mission and create more smiles, we established the Smile180 Foundation to support Tennessee’s dental colleges, children’s hospitals, free and reduced-cost community dental clinics, and other like-minded charities. Delta Dental is the largest independent dental benefits provider in the state, with more than 2,000 employer groups representing more than 1.25 million Tennesseans. To unleash your smile power, choose Delta Dental. Visit www.DeltaDentalTN.com.
 
The Tennessee Charitable Care Network (TCCN) has a mission to provide support, education, and representation for non-profit organizations that provide charitable health care services to low-income, uninsured, and underserved Tennesseans. Established in 2014, TCCN ensures that Tennessee’s charitable clinics are equipped to effectively respond to the health care needs of vulnerable populations now and into the future. Faced with common challenges, such as the changing healthcare landscape, limited financial resources, reliance on volunteers versus full-time staff, and a lack of training resources, key leaders within the state’s charitable clinics identified the need for a statewide membership association. TCCN was initiated by these leaders to provide a collective voice for charitable clinics, along with the resources and expertise needed to tackle shared challenges in an effective and efficient way. The leadership and collaboration provided by TCCN ensure that charitable clinics can successfully meet patient needs while navigating the changing environment, improving systems and quality, and developing services tailored to the unique needs and assets of each community.

Contact: Paul Lindsley
Paul.lindsley@phase3mc.com
615.585.3487