Delta Dental invested nearly $109 million in community programs in 2022, affecting 20.4 million lives nationwide, including Connecticut
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Maria Kucinski, MWW
(978) 852-8969, mkucinski@mww.com
Kim Elmore, Delta Dental of Connecticut
(973) 534-9682, kelmore@deltadentalnj.com
Delta Dental invested nearly $109 million in community programs in 2022, affecting 20.4 million lives nationwide, including Connecticut
The nation’s leading oral health philanthropist releases its 2022 Community Impact Report highlighting its work to elevate health and wellness in all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico
GLASTONBURY, CT — June 14, 2023 — Today, the Delta Dental Institute, dedicated to advancing oral health for all Americans, released Delta Dental’s 2022 Community Impact Report, “Our mission: your health.” Last year, Delta Dental, the nation’s leading oral health philanthropist, invested nearly $109 million to support programs, research, and advocacy that positively impacted over 20 million lives.
In Connecticut, Delta Dental invested $184,208, impacting 14,456 lives, through programs and initiatives such as sponsoring a SMILE mini-grant to purchase dental supplies and equipment to provide vital dental services to nearly 500 patients at Norwalk Hospital, one of a few facilities in Connecticut that provides comprehensive, specialized oral health care for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“We’re proud to have had such a far-reaching and long-lasting impact on the oral health of Connecticut residents through working with organizations that meaningfully address communities’ oral health care challenges,” said Dennis G. Wilson, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Connecticut (DDCT) and vice president of the Delta Dental Foundation.
In 2022, DDCT provided $316,096 in grants to seven organizations dedicated to providing uninsured and underinsured seniors, intellectually and developmentally disabled adults and children, disadvantaged children, and veterans with access to oral care.
The report, issued annually, tells the story of the impact that Delta Dental companies, their foundations, and community partners made last year to elevate the oral and overall health of their communities. These efforts focused on expanding access to oral health care, advancing health equity, building resilient communities, and innovating for a healthier tomorrow.
Highlights from the report include:
- Expanding access to care: Delta Dental supported dental treatment and prevention programs that helped 8.2 million people achieve better oral health, including community water fluoridation projects, school sealant programs, and low or no cost oral health care for underserved communities.
- Advancing health equity:Delta Dental invested over $7.5 million to shape the next generation of the oral health workforce so it better reflects the diversity of their communities, and promoted oral health education and public awareness campaigns that reached 11.6 million people.
- Building resilient communities: Delta Dental distributed $2.9 million toward disaster relief and related activities, largely through a long-term partnership with the American Red Cross, and employees from across the country volunteered over 24,000 hours to support their communities.
- Innovating for a healthier tomorrow: The Delta Dental Institute sponsored research that found that increased communication and coordination between medical and dental providers improves health outcomes. Informed by this research, Delta Dental invested $2.2 million in medical-dental integration efforts to reduce barriers to care.
To accompany the report, Delta Dental also released a new video and digital story detailing its community impact work, including an interactive map showcasing specific initiatives in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
The full report is available online at cir.deltadental.com.
About Delta Dental Plans Association
Based in Oak Brook, Illinois, Delta Dental Plans Association is the not-for-profit national association of the 39 independent Delta Dental companies. Through these companies, Delta Dental is the nation’s largest dental benefits provider, covering more than 89 million Americans and offering the country’s largest dental network with approximately 152,000 participating dentists. Over the last decade, Delta Dental companies and their foundations invested over $1.9 billion to improve the oral and overall health of our communities.
About the Delta Dental Institute
The Delta Dental Institute is dedicated to advancing oral health for all Americans in partnership with Delta Dental companies and dedicated partners across the country. With expertise rooted in Delta Dental’s rich history of oral health leadership, we engage in and support oral health research, community outreach, and advocacy, striving to ensure that everyone understands the importance of oral health to overall health and has access to the care they need. Visit deltadentalinstitute.com for more information.