DELTA DENTAL OF MISSOURI AWARDS $492,000+ IN GRANTS TO HELP PEOPLE GET VITAL DENTAL CARE
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (Jan. 31, 2024) … To help meet the dental health needs of children and adults, Delta Dental of Missouri – the state’s leading dental benefits provider and a non-profit organization – last year awarded $492,099 in oral health grants to 15 organizations to support oral health initiatives, educational programs and charitable causes across Missouri. The funding is part of the company’s annual mission giving initiatives.
“So many of our neighbors suffer without access to critical dental care,” said Rob Goren, president and chief executive officer at Delta Dental of Missouri. “By donating grants to a variety of organizations that align with our mission to improve oral health, together we can help thousands of people get vital treatment and services to enhance their overall health and quality of life.”
In 2023, Delta Dental of Missouri awarded oral health grants to the following organizations in the state:
• Community Foundation of the Ozarks (Springfield) – received $100,000 to provide dental care for youth in rural schools, who are from families with low incomes.
• Child Center Marygrove (St. Louis) – received $25,000 to support nursing position salaries for two professionals, who oversee the oral health education and coordination of resident dental care.
• Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation (Sikeston) – received $75,000 for Project Ashley’s Smile, which enables follow-up dental services for those identified through its Innovate Readiness Training events.
• Dental Lifeline Network – Missouri Donated Dental Services (Jefferson City) – received $12,000 to support staffing needs for the program, which provides free comprehensive dental treatments to those who lack adequate income for dental care and have a permanent disability, are age 65 or older, or qualify as medically fragile.
• HealthWorks Kids’ Museum (St. Louis) – received $25,000 in support of its operating costs related to oral health programming.
• Heartland Outreach Providers (Kansas City) – received $35,000 to help sustain operations of its HOPE Dental Program, and to plan, staff and equip a second mobile dental team to provide care to individuals in need.
• HNC Living Foundation (Kansas City) – received $50,000 to help provide dental care to patients in Missouri with head and neck cancer.
• Hope House – Domestic Violence Service Agency Dental Clinic (Kansas City) – received $15,000 to purchase equipment to provide comprehensive dental services for adult and child survivors of domestic violence.
• Jordan Valley Community Health Center (Springfield) – received $32,000 to expand tools and technology used to train dental assistants in its in-house dental assisting apprenticeship program.
• LevelUp Kids (Kansas City) – received $10,000 to help provide preventive and restorative care at no cost to school-aged children from families with low incomes.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks (Springfield) – received $15,000 in support of general operating costs for its mobile dental unit, which provides free care to children.
• Seton Center – Dental Safety Net Clinic (Kansas City) – received $15,000 to provide comprehensive dental care, including dentures, to adults and to children in need.
• Truman Medical Centers Lakewood Dental Clinic (Kansas City) – received $8,099 to purchase a Henry Schein DEIS Titanium Sensor for its clinic.
• University of Missouri Kansas City (Kansas City) – received $50,000 to purchase equipment needed to build the digital dentistry capacity of the dental school’s clinic operations.
• We Care Mobile Dental Foundation (St. Louis) – received $25,000 in support of staff salaries and operating expenses to continue to deliver dental care to individuals in low-income, assisted living facilities, full-skilled nursing homes and adult daycares.
The company awards grants twice annually for general operations, programs, projects and capacity-building efforts promoting the oral health of individuals in Missouri. Objectives of its grant program include:
• Reducing oral disease through education, prevention and treatment
• Ensuring access to affordable, timely and high-quality dental care
• Enhancing the awareness of good oral health with a focus on children and individuals in need
• Making a measurable difference in the oral health of Missourians
• Helping to ensure that Missouri is among the states with the highest indicators of oral health
Delta Dental of Missouri also awarded $190,000 in grants to five organizations in South Carolina, where it also does business.
To learn more, visit https://www.deltadentalmo.com/AboutUs/oral-health-grant-program.
About Delta Dental of Missouri
Delta Dental of Missouri is the state’s leading dental benefits provider and a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. It provides more than 2.1 million members with access to affordable, high-quality dental care through group plans tailored to meet the needs of organizations of all sizes, from large corporations to small businesses with two or more employees. Delta Dental also offers dental benefit plans directly to individuals and families. It also provides access to affordable, high-quality vision care through group vision benefit plans. The company proudly supports oral health initiatives, educational programs and charitable causes that help educate people about the importance of dental health and provide free dental care to those in need. Delta Dental of Missouri also created the Missouri Dental Care Resource Guide to help individuals access information about low-cost and free dental care options in their area—available online at www.DeltaDentalMO.com/ResourceGuide1. To learn more about the company, visit www.DeltaDentalMO.com.