This post was sponsored by the MetLife TRICARE Dental Program as part of an Ambassador Program for Influence Central.
The holidays are a time for thinking about others, a time when we feel at our most charitable. It’s easy to remember to be thankful for what we have, and to show our thanks and appreciation for those who serve us selflessly–like those in the military. Folks send care packages and donate to charities that support military families.
But what happens when the holidays are over? Our soliders, sailors, airmen, and marines are all still out there doing the work they do! The MetLife Tricare Dental program wants to encourage all of you to say “Thank You” to the military not just during the holidays but throughout the year.
How? The easiest way is by saying “Thank You” in a letter. Troops really do value a hearfelt letter from everyday people who just take the time to say “Thank you for what you do for this country. We appreciate it.” Here are a just a couple of organizations that help you to do that.
- Operation Gratitude-Has tips for what to write and gives options for writing deployed military members, wounded warriors, new recruits or older veterans.
- Any Solider–Includes a special database that connects you with service members who have volunteered to be points of contact fort the program. Then you send your support (letters/packages) addressed to that person. When they see the “Attn: Any Soldier” line in the address they put the letters you send into the hands of service members who don’t get much (or any) mail.
- Adopt a Soldier–Connects civilians with deployed troops and creates a channel to communicate encouragement and express gratitude to those serving.
Metlife wanted me to help them say Thank You to all the military friends and family who support the TRICARE Dental Program (TDP), and to remind National Guard and Reserve members enrolled in the TDP that their network dentists (over 250,000 world wide) can complete, at no cost, the Department of Defense Active Duty/Reserve Forces Dental Examination form (DD Form 2813) .
If you want to stay up to date on your TRICARE benefits, don’t forget to sign up for the TRICARE Dental Health Matters newsletter (visit www.tricare.mil/subscriptions). You’ll get info on dental, health and pharmacy benefit changes; special topics and disaster alerts; and healthy-living tools, such as tobacco-cessation resources.
And since we are talking dental–I’m going to leave you with the Basics of Proper Tooth Brushing, paraphrased from the December 2015 TRICARE Dental Health Matters Newsletter:
The Basics of Proper Tooth Brushing
Brush twice a day with an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste
Place toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your gums.
Gently brush back and forth in short strokes.
Tilt the brush vertically and make several up-and-down strokes to clean the inside of your front teeth.
Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and keep your breath fresh.
Floss daily to clean between your teeth.
Visit your dental provider regularly for professional cleanings and oral exams.
Oh–and don’t forget to check out the TRICARE MetLife Dental Facebook page!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I’ve received compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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