Community Impact

Our impact

Oral health is a critical, yet often overlooked, component of overall health and wellness. That’s why, as the nation’s leading oral health philanthropist, Delta Dental works tirelessly to elevate the importance of oral and overall health in communities across the country.

Delta Dental invests in programs, research, and advocacy that expand access to oral health care, advance health equity, build resilient communities, and innovate for a healthier tomorrow.  

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Community impact

Our mission: your health

As the nation’s leading oral health philanthropist, Delta Dental cares deeply about elevating the importance of oral and overall health in communities across the country. Our work to expand access to oral health care, advance health equity, build resilient communities, and innovate for a healthier tomorrow charts a path toward a healthier and more equitable future.

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$108.9 million

invested in programs to expand access to care, advance health equity, build resilient communities, and innovate for a healthier tomorrow.

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20.4 million lives

impacted by our mission to advance the health and wellness of all those we serve and the communities where we live, work, and play.

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24,000 hours

volunteered by team members across the country, so that our communities remain strong, vibrant, and resilient.

 

Community spotlight

Delta Dental is proud of the numerous and varied oral health projects undertaken across our 39 companies. We regularly rotate community spotlights below and invite you to explore the work of Delta Dental in your state through the search function at the bottom of this page.

Advancing oral health education

The Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation partnered with Arizona PBS to launch “Have A Healthy Smile.” The oral health campaign included 12 events in low-income, rural Arizona communities to educate children and provide dental screenings and fluoride varnish treatments from local dentists. Three PSAs on oral hygiene run on local PBS stations, and a new website, healthysmilelearning.org, offers educators and parents oral health lessons, activities, experiments, and links to other curricula and programs at no cost.

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Supporting the oral health workforce

Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation made a historic investment into developing and diversifying the Colorado oral health workforce. Through nearly $5 million in grants, three new dental hygiene schools will be built at Pikes Peak State College, Front Range Community College, and Colorado Mountain College, and the existing dental hygiene program at Denver Community College will be expanded. The investment will double the state’s capacity to train dental hygienists by adding 75 seats for students. Each program has set diversity goals to ensure that future graduates represent the state’s demographics.

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Expanding access to oral health care

Arcora—the foundation of Delta Dental of Washington—has invested more than $19 million (2017-2023) in grants to support oral health initiatives across the state. A projected 140,000 additional patient visits resulted from this funding. In 2023, International Community Health Services ($180,000) in King County and the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe’s health center ($142,000) in Kitsap County received capital grants to connect more people to dental care where and when they need it. 

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Our mission in action

Delta Dental of Arizona

Delta Dental of Missouri

Delta Dental of South Dakota

Advancing oral and overall health

In 2022, through our national network of companies, Delta Dental invested nearly $109 million in programs, research, and advocacy to elevate health and wellness in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. 

Enter your state above to find out what we're doing in your community.

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Community Impact Report archive

View past reports