Our Vision, Mission and Values
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Our History
Dental Benefits Leader
Delta Dental of Missouri is the state’s dental benefits leader, with more than 2.37 million members who are covered through more than 3,400 companies, both large and small, as well through individual plans purchased directly from Delta Dental of Missouri. These members have access to the 88 percent of practicing dentists in Missouri who participate in one or both of Delta Dental’s networks: Delta Dental PPO™ network and Delta Dental Premier® network. Nationally, Delta Dental offers the largest proprietary network of participating dentists in the country.
Our Origins
Our organization got its start in 1954, when a group of dentists on the West Coast formed a pre-paid dental coverage program to improve access to dental care. This led to the formation of the first non-profit dental service company – Washington Dental Service. Using this approach as a model, Missouri Dental Service was founded a few years later in 1958 to address the oral health crisis that was unfolding in this state due to a lack of access to care.
Delta Dental Plans Association
The programs offered by Missouri Dental Service gradually began to catch on. Originally located in Jefferson City, Missouri Dental Service moved its operations to St. Louis in 1979. As part of the national Delta Dental Plans Association, the organization continued to grow in Missouri, and the name was changed to Delta Dental Plan of Missouri in 1985.