Delta Dental Awards $300,000 to Address Oral Health Disparities

More than 32% of South Carolina adults have not visited a dentist in the past year,1 and nearly 20% of children in kindergarten through third grade have untreated tooth decay.2 These issues are exacerbated by a significant shortage of dental health professionals in the state. To help combat this, Delta Dental of South Carolina – a leading dental benefits provider and a non-profit organization – has awarded oral health grant support to 11 organizations that align with its mission to improve oral health. The company awarded a total of $304,450 in grant funding to these organizations to help further oral health initiatives, educational programs and charitable causes that are working to meet the oral health needs of children and adults in South Carolina. This includes $50,000 for the South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium and $25,000 for the North Charleston Dental Outreach located in the Charleston area.

“For nearly 20 years, the South Carolina Rural Dentist Loan Repayment Program has supported dentists who want to practice in rural and underserved communities in our state,” stated Kristin Cochran, director, recruitment and retention programs at South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium. “Our data shows that dentists funded to serve in these communities stay and continue to practice there after their obligations to the program are complete. We are grateful for the funding from Delta Dental of South Carolina, which enables us to extend this opportunity to more dentists, connecting more communities with the oral healthcare they need.”

South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium will use the oral health grant funding to support the organization’s Rural Dentist Loan Repayment Program, which improves access to care for rural/underserved South Carolinians by providing loan repayment to dentists serving in Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas.

North Charleston Dental Outreach will use the funds to purchase equipment and help support operating expenses for its emergent dental care clinic for the uninsured and those with low incomes in Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley counties.

“The funded organizations are working tirelessly to help eliminate the harsh realities of oral health disparities for those they serve,” stated Rob Goren, president and chief executive officer at Delta Dental of South Carolina. “We’re thrilled to align with each organization to support life-changing work through our oral health grant program. Together, we can help thousands of children and adults across the state receive vital treatment and services to improve their oral health and overall well-being.”

Delta Dental of South Carolina awards grants annually for general operations, programs, projects and capacity-building efforts promoting the oral health of individuals in South Carolina. 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 South Carolinians
• Helping to ensure that South Carolina is among the states with the highest indicators of oral health

To learn more, visit https://www.deltadentalsc.com/AboutUs/oral-health-grant-program.

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Explore Oral Health Data by Location/South Carolina, retrieved September 4, 2024 2 https://connectingsmilessc.org...

About Delta Dental of South Carolina

Delta Dental of South Carolina is a trade name of Delta Dental of Missouri, a dental benefits provider and a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization, which operates in South Carolina under that name. It provides more than 370,000 members in South Carolina 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. It also created the South Carolina Dental Care Resource Guide to help individuals access information about low-cost and free dental care options in their area—available online at www.DeltaDentalSC.com/ResourceGuide1. To learn more about the company, visit www.DeltaDentalSC.com.