Oral Health Grants Bring Vital Care to Rural South Carolina Communities

The shortage of qualified dentists in rural and underserved communities— in South Carolina and nationwide— is a public health crisis that continues to leave millions vulnerable to preventable oral health issues. The South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium (AHEC) in Charleston is addressing this challenge through its Rural Dentist Loan Repayment Program, which provides loan repayment to dentists serving in Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas statewide. Ninety community dentists have been funded to date thanks to funding from the state of South Carolina and supporters like Delta Dental of South Carolina — a non-profit organization and leading dental benefits provider and oral health philanthropist — which recently awarded South Carolina AHEC a $50,000 oral health grant. Since 2018, Delta Dental has contributed $400,000 to South Carolina AHEC.

Funding from Delta Dental of South Carolina has supported the loan repayment for 22 dentists through South Carolina AHEC’s Rural Dentist Loan Repayment Program. This includes Elyse Little, DMD, and Blake Holt, DDS, who are currently practicing in Gaffney and Camden, S.C., respectively.

"I am incredibly grateful to have been chosen for the South Carolina Rural Dentist Loan Repayment Program,” said Dr. Little, who grew up in the rural town of Gaffney. “I knew when I graduated from dental school that I wanted to move back home to serve my community. I wanted to provide care for those who are underserved. Being accepted into this program has helped to lower the financial burden of my dental school student debt, while also allowing me to serve the low-income families of my community.”

South Carolina AHEC reports a 98% program retention rate for participating dentists completing their service obligations since the program’s inception. A 2022 long-term retention study found nearly 82% of dentists who had completed their program service obligations were still practicing at their original practice location. 15% of dentists were at a different practice location but still practicing in a South Carolina Dental Health Professional Shortage Area. The fact that such a huge percentage of completers were retained in rural and underserved communities in the state demonstrates the program’s effectiveness at supporting dentists practicing in the communities that need them the most.

Kristin Cochran, MHA, Director of Recruitment & Retention Programs for South Carolina AHEC, commented on the impact of this funding. “We are grateful for the continued partnership and collaboration with Delta Dental of South Carolina and the funding we have received over the last seven years to support the South Carolina Rural Dentist Loan Repayment Program,” said Cochran. “This grant funding enables us to support more community dentists to practice in rural and medically underserved communities across the state. This program, and the support from Delta Dental of South Carolina, is vital to improving access to oral health care in our communities that need it the most.”

Delta Dental of South Carolina awards grants 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

As part of its most recent grant cycle, Delta Dental of South Carolina awarded a total of $121,540 in oral health grants to four organizations that align with its mission to improve oral health. In addition to the $50,000 awarded to South Carolina AHEC:

· Classy Smiles DBA: SC Smiles Dental (Myrtle Beach) received $25,000 to help support dental provider salaries for its school-based dental care program for underserved children.
· Healthy Learners (Columbia) received $25,000 to support its high-impact continuum of care dental program for uninsured and underserved children.
· East Cooper Community Outreach (Mount Pleasant) received $21,540 to help purchase digital sensors and supplies for its free dental clinic for uninsured, low-income adults.

“We are thrilled to partner with each of these organizations to help eliminate the harsh realities of oral health disparities in our state,” stated Stacy Harris, community impact program manager at Delta Dental of South Carolina. “Supporting this type of life-changing work furthers our mission to help people of all ages live better lives through improved dental health.”

To learn more about how eligible organizations can apply for oral health grant funding in 2026, visit https://www.deltadentalsc.com/AboutUs/oral-health-grant-program.

About Delta Dental of South Carolina
Delta Dental of South Carolina is a trade name of Delta Dental of Missouri, a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization, leading dental benefits provider and oral health philanthropist, which operates in South Carolina under that name. It provides more than 411,000 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 https://www.deltadentalsc.com/resourceguide. To learn more about the company, visit www.DeltaDentalSC.com.

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