Delta Dental Awards $127,900+ to Five Organizations to Address Oral Health Disparities, South Carolina Care

Research shows a strong link between protecting smiles and improving oral health and overall well-being. Yet disparities prevent many South Carolinians from getting vital dental care. To help combat this, Delta Dental of South Carolina – a non-profit organization and leading dental benefits provider and oral health philanthropist – recently awarded more than $127,900 in oral health grants to five organizations that align with its mission to improve oral health. This includes $14,688 for Straight Road International in Columbia.

Straight Road International will use funds to improve access to oral health education and dementia screenings for underserved older adults.

“Thanks to Delta Dental, our organization can further support communities within the state of South Carolina by providing cognitive/memory screenings and continuing to educate older adults and caregivers about the connection between oral health and Alzheimer's disease,” stated Dr. Abdalla Straker, executive director and president of Straight Road International.

Oral health grant funding was also provided to Dental Share Network of Laurens County in Clinton, Healthy Smiles of Spartanburg in Spartanburg, Little River Medical Center in Little River and Volunteers in Medicine Hilton Head Island Clinic on Hilton Head Island. Funded organizations will advance educational programming, purchase equipment and supplies, host no-cost mobile dental clinics, offer dentures and provide preventive, restorative and emergency oral health care services to meet the oral health needs of children and adults across the state.

“Delta Dental is proud to be leading an oral healthcare movement where our mission is your health,” stated Stacy Harris, community impact program manager at Delta Dental of South Carolina. “We’re thrilled to partner 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, visithttps://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/.... To learn more about the company, visit www.DeltaDentalSC.com.