AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation announced today that it donated $975,000 last year – a 164% increase from $370,000 in 2016 – to improve oral health and access to dental care in Texas, focusing on underserved areas where many families and individuals have trouble accessing affordable dental care.
The foundation is the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental Insurance Company, which covers more than 2 million people in Texas.
The funds went to 29 Texas community dental clinics and several educational and research institutions and community groups, as well as to aid the residents of Houston and nearby communities in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey.
“Here in Texas, our foundation is increasing its efforts to promote oral health among those least able to afford dental care and to improve education and research to aid in those efforts,” said Kenneth Yale, DDS, J.D., Delta Dental’s chief clinical officer. “We’re very proud of this work and hope to build upon it.”
Along with support for community dental clinics statewide, last year’s grants included $250,000 to the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston to enhance oral health care for children and elderly, and a $200,000 donation to the American Red Cross to help Houston and surrounding areas recover from Hurricane Harvey.
Most dental clinic grants in the state ranged from $10,000 to $30,000.
Overall, funding by the foundation last year totaled $9.6 million in 15 states and the District of Columbia, an increase from the prior year.
About the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation
The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental Insurance Company and its affiliated companies including Delta Dental of California, Delta Dental of New York, Inc., and Delta Dental of Pennsylvania. Together with our affiliate companies, Delta Dental Insurance Company covers more than 35.4 million enrollees. All of our companies are members, or affiliates of members, of the Delta Dental Plans Association, a network of 39 Delta Dental companies that provides dental coverage to 75 million people in the U.S. The foundation’s mission is to increase access to quality dental care by providing funding and support to advance research, education and access to dental care across our 15-state service area plus the District of Columbia.
