Advocate | TAG Oral Care Center for Excellence

TAG Oral Care Center for Excellence

A first of its kind

To help break down barriers to dental care

The mission of the TAG Oral Care Center for Excellence is to break down barriers to dental implant care and increase access for underserved communities in and around Illinois. The TAG Oral Center for Excellence provides cutting edge comprehensive dental implant care to qualified patients, free of charge. Together, we can bring more smiles, healthier mouths, and more confidence to those who need it most.

Healthier mouths across Illinois.

With your support, we can serve qualified Illinois residents in need. Our goal is for everyone to feel confident in their smile.

37% Age 65+ have severe tooth loss.¹
20% agree: not having natural teeth is an obstacle to visiting the dentist.

¹”Severe tooth loss” is defined as having 8 or fewer teeth Sources: OHA - Harvard University. (2018). A State of Decay. and ADA Health Policy Institute. (2015). Oral Health and Well-Being in Illinois.

A state, city, and local opportunity

Socioeconomics present a barrier to dental care in our communities all across the state. Supporting TAG Oral Care Center (OCC) will bring change to our neighborhoods, our counties, and our region.

63% of Chicago residents do not have dental insurance.²
64% of Illinois residents list cost as a barrier to receiving oral care.³

²Source: Illinois Department of Public Health. (2022) Illinois County Behavioral Risk Factor Surveys (2015-2019). ³Source: ADA Health Policy Institute. (2015). Oral Health and Well-Being in Illinois.

A modern space to solve old problems.

TAG Oral Care Center features state-of-the-art technology in a welcoming, inviting space. Because all patients deserve access to quality care. Currently, adults making less than $25,000 annually are half as likely to visit a dentist than those who are making $75,000 or more. Let’s change that.⁴

⁴Source: United Health Foundation. (2020). America’s Health Rankings Annual Report - Illinois.

Let’s make a difference.

The OCC will help address three key measures highlighted in the 2021-2025 State of Illinois Department of Public Health Oral Health Surveillance System.

Serving qualified patients with any tooth loss.
Preventing emergency department visits for non-traumatic dental conditions.
Delayed dental visits due to cost.

Meet Sundeep

Dr. Sundeep Rawal, DMD, is Senior Vice President, Implant Support Services for Aspen Dental.

He has worked extensively to utilize CAD/CAM technologies within the scope of clinical dentistry and enhance patients’ restorative treatments. Dr. Rawal is a frequent lecturer across the globe, and the co-founder of the Digital Dentistry Institute, a leading contemporary education entity with courses in numerous countries dedicated to innovations and technology in dentistry.

Meet Nassif

Dr. Nassif Youssef BDS, CAGS TAG OCC is the Director, Implant Prosthetics & Educational Support for the TAG Oral Care Center.

He is member of the American College of prosthodontics, Member of the American Dental Education Association, and a candidate of the American Board of prosthodontics. Dr. Youssef works on offering patients a seamless experience when providing their prosthetics and implant needs utilizing all available cutting-edge technologies within the scope of digital dentistry. Following his belief in giving back to the community he has participated in dental mission trips to serve those in need in Africa, Asia, and different parts of the world.

Our history: The Aspen Group (TAG) and Aspen Dental

The Aspen Group (TAG) is a nationwide leader in consumer healthcare with a broad healthcare goal.

We welcomed Chapter, ClearChoice, and WellNow because we believe in a future where health and wellness is accessible for all. Aspen Dental was founded in 1998 with a mission to break down the barriers that made it hard for patients to keep up with their dental health: affordability, transparency, and access. Fast forward over 20 years — we’re more than 1,100 locations strong and have completely changed the dental landscape. Since 2014, through our charitable giving program, we've donated more than $36M in dentistry to more than 35,000 veterans and people in need in the U.S. and around the world. But there is more work to do.