Delta Dental Institute Makes Up To $1 Million Available to Drive Greater Diversity in the Oral Health Workforce

The Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund is once again accepting applications from programs focused on inspiring school-aged children from historically underrepresented groups to explore careers in oral health

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, on World Oral Health Day, the Delta Dental Institute continued its commitment to diversifying the oral health workforce and promoting health equity by announcing its Oral Health Diversity Fund is once again accepting applications. This industry-leading fund invests up to $1 million annually in comprehensive solutions, innovative pilots, and scalable models that inspire school-aged children from historically underrepresented groups to pursue careers in oral health.

Research shows that racial and ethnic diversity among health professionals is linked to improved patient outcomes, but the current oral health workforce doesn’t accurately represent the diversity of the communities they serve.

“Increasing the diversity of the oral health workforce is essential to improving oral and overall health outcomes,” said James W. Hutchison, President & CEO of Delta Dental Plans Association. “As the nation’s largest oral health philanthropist, Delta Dental is proud to continue investing in innovative programs that encourage minority students to consider a career in the oral health professions.”

The application period for this year’s Oral Health Diversity Fund is open from March 20 to May 31 at 5:00 PM ET.

Those interested in applying to the Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund can visit www.deltadentalinstitute.com/fund.
Eligible applicants must be based in the United States, and may include 501(c)(3) organizations, private businesses, or limited or general partnerships.
Information about last year’s Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund award winners can be found here.

This announcement is a continuation of the Delta Dental Institute’s Driving Greater Diversity in the Oral Health Workforce campaign, which aims to increase the number of oral health professionals from historically underrepresented groups and supports programs that help diversify the oral health workforce through education, research, and community engagement.

About the Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund

Delta Dental established the first national Oral Health Diversity Fund in 2023 as part of the Driving Greater Diversity in the Oral Health Workforce campaign. This industry-leading fund makes targeted investments in comprehensive solutions, innovative pilots, and scalable models that inspire school-aged children from historically underrepresented groups to pursue a career in oral health. Visit www.deltadentalinstitute.com/fund to learn more.

About the Delta Dental Institute

The Delta Dental Institute advances 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.

About Delta Dental Plans Association

Based in Chicago, 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, and offers 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.