Contacts
Rob Medina, 720.261.2058 robm@medinacom.com

Comfort Dental Founder
Establishes New Scholarship at Marquette Dental School

 

• Dr. Rick Kushner, D.D.S., President and Founder of Comfort Dental has established the Comfort Dental/Dr. Rick and Cindy Kushner Scholarship Fund at the Marquette University School of Dentistry in Milwaukee, WI.

• 
  The fund will provide $50,000 annually for a minimum of ten years. Five scholarships will be given away each year in increments of $10,000 to Marquette dental students. (One scholarship will be given to a first year student, one to a second year student, one to a third year student, and two scholarships to fourth year students).

• 
  Preference is given to students from states that Comfort Dental has its practices, including Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Missouri and Ohio, and financial need. As part of the relationship, Dr. Kushner and Comfort Dental have the opportunity to interact with the dental school, students and scholarship recipients.

• 
  According to Dr. Kushner, “With tuition at the dental school at nearly $45,000 a year, this scholarship will make a dramatic difference in the ability of recipients to graduate with less debt, and that’s helpful during these economically challenging times.”

• 
  Last year, The Marquette University Dental School Alumni Association selected Dr. Kushner to receive the prestigious School of Dentistry Outstanding Dental Service Award honoring outstanding contributions to dentistry. Dr. Kushner is a 1977 Marquette alumnus.

More About Comfort Dental

Dr. Rick Kushner founded Comfort Dental in 1977 and pioneered the concept of accessible, fair priced dentistry.
Comfort Dental’s mission is to provide quality, affordable dental care. For example:

• 
  New patients are $19 which includes exam and x-rays; Braces for kids are $119 per month, adults are $129 per month;
  As a comparison to published rates by the Colorado Dental Association, Comfort Dental’s fees are about 50% of what other Colorado dentists charge.

• 
  Comfort Dental has grown to over 60 offices and 180 partner dentists in five states, and over one million patients. Comfort Dental is the largest dental franchise in America. Each office is independently owned by dentists.

• 
  Comfort Dental is one of the largest Medicaid providers in Colorado. (According to a survey by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on dental accessibility, most dentists’ participation in Medicaid lags far behind the participation of others in the medical profession. The survey concludes that dentist participation in the Medicaid program is crucial to providing dental care access).

• 
  Comfort Dental improves access by having extended office hours including Monday-Friday, 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM, Saturdays, 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM, and 24-hour emergency access. (Many dentists close their office at 6 PM, are not open on Saturdays. Most dentists do not offer 24-hour emergency care).

• 
  For people without insurance, Comfort Dental offers their own dental plan. Comfort Dental’s Gold and Silver Plans have approximately 50,000 members and offer discounts on a wide variety of dental services.

• 
  Comfort Dental also supports numerous philanthropic efforts. Most notably, Comfort Dental offers free dental care on Christmas Eve Day to those in need. Since 1984, Comfort Dental’s Care Day has served more than 50,000 patients and provided services valued at more than $11 million.

• 
  Comfort Dental also supports various programs to benefit children by partnering with The Live Nation, with naming rights to the Comfort Dental Amphitheater, The Denver Zoo, The Colorado Rockies and Mount Saint Vincent.