Chew on This

Trident is not a glamorous or necessarily trendy item, but it's my go-to gum, and also my most common impulse purchase at the checkout line. Due to their clear message about fighting tooth decay, it also seems like the more virtuous of gums and not just a tasty treat.

But Trident is doing more than just freshening the breath of burrito-lovers like me: I recently learned that over the last three years the company has committed $1.5 million toward Smiles Across America, a nonprofit offering dental care to children in underserved communities.

This has also helped to fund dental clinics in Dallas and Los Angeles, with plans to open six more locations in other areas. Right now SAA is serving around 350,000 children and provides its network with funding and technical assistance in communications and coalition building, enabling the network to reach a wider population and address barriers to access: lack of resources and transportation, low literacy and language diversity.

So while they are not a company dedicated to social good, per se, I appreciate the direct connection between the product and the charitable give-back and the acknowledgment that just gum isn't the answer: underserved populations could afford a pack of gum but not dental treatment, and Trident admits (with a smile, I'm sure) that gum is not the complete solution to tooth decay and more serious issues. And if they take care of kids early on, kids can grow up with positive associations with the Trident brand and also learn to value dental care and preventative health. Chew on that!