Eleven Connecticut Organizations to Receive More than $251,000 from the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation to Improve Oral Health Among At-Risk Populations
GLASTONBURY, CT – July 25, 2023 – The Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of Connecticut (DDCT), has announced that 11 organizations will receive more than $251,000 in grant funding to provide dental care and education to nearly 17,000 uninsured and underinsured Connecticut residents.
The funding will reach four of the eight Connecticut counties through a range of mini or major SMILE grants that will help renew or start programs addressing the dental workforce pipeline and maintaining the dental health of seniors, developmentally disabled adults and children, disadvantaged children, and veterans.
“The Delta Dental New Jersey Foundation is dedicated to improving the oral health of Connecticut residents,” said Dennis G. Wilson, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Connecticut (DDCT) and vice president of the Delta Dental Foundation. “You can’t put a price on a healthy smile. These projects renew our oral care commitment to our communities and address the challenges they face head on.”
Recipients of the grants include:
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Yale New Haven Hospital, which will receive $50,000 to provide dental care to establish a mobile dental care program for more than 300 veterans in New Haven county and throughout the state;
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A second $50,000 Yale New Haven Hospital grant to provide dental care to 300 Head Start children via a mobile dentistry unit;
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Connecticut Foundation for Dental Outreach, which will receive $50,000 to support Connecticut’s Mission of Mercy’s two-day dental care event in October that provides free dental care for 1,400 people;
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Dental Lifeline Network, which will use $30,000 to provide dental care to 50 seniors, veterans, and developmentally disabled adults via its CT Donated Dental Services (DDS) program;
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Norwalk Hospital, which will use $9,260 to support its Accessible Smile Program providing dental care to more than 80 IDD patients;
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Goodwin College, which will use $10,000 to provide scholarships to its dental hygiene students;
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And, Connecticut Science Center, a new grant recipient, which will highlight dental careers to high school students through its Healthcare Pathways and STEM Career Showcase Program.
This year, the DDNJ Foundation is funding a special series of grants dedicated to establishing or expanding dental assisting programs and school-to-career programs for high school students in memory of Dr. Gene F. Napoliello, who served as the Foundation’s longtime Chairman.
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About Delta Dental
In Connecticut, Delta Dental of Connecticut, Inc. is a licensed insurer that writes dental coverage on an insured basis, and Delta Dental of New Jersey administers self-funded dental benefit programs. Delta Dental of New Jersey, Inc. is New Jersey's leading dental benefits company, providing or administering coverage to more than 1.9 million people through contracts with groups and individuals in New Jersey and Connecticut.
Offering dental benefits since 1969, Delta Dental's mission is to promote oral health to the greatest number of people by providing accessible dental benefit programs of the highest quality, service, and value. We are a not-for-profit service corporation and, as a member of Delta Dental Plans Association, we're part of a network that provides national dental coverage to more than 85 million people. For more information, visit https://www.deltadentalct.com.
Delta Dental of Connecticut is a part of Delta Dental Plans Association. Through our national network of Delta Dental companies, we offer dental coverage in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories.
