Motivated by Results, Delta Dental of Wisconsin Continues to Invest in Children’s Oral Health

Delta Dental provides more than $775,000 in grants dedicated to
improving the oral health of Wisconsin’s children in recognition of
Children’s Dental Health Month

STEVENS POINT, Wis.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–School-age children without sealants have almost three times more
cavities than those with sealants, according to the Center for Disease
Control. But Delta Dental of Wisconsin is working to ensure more
children receive sealants through a renewed commitment to the Wisconsin
Seal-A-Smile program, an innovative school-based sealant program
targeting students at high risk for decay.

The Seal-A-Smile program provides oral health screenings, fluoride
varnish, and sealants when necessary to school-age students around the
state at no cost to their family. It is a result of a unique
public-private partnership between the State of Wisconsin, Children’s
Health Alliance and Delta Dental of Wisconsin. The innovative
partnership targets schools where 35 percent or more children receive
free or reduced meals. Last year, the Seal-A-Smile program provided
dental screenings and oral health education to 52,000 children, more
than 26,000 of whom required sealants. Delta Dental of Wisconsin
provided an additional $125,000 to expand participation in the sealant
programs for the 2016-2017 school year. This is in addition to an annual
$350,000 commitment to co-fund the program with the state.

“According to the latest study by Wisconsin Department of Health
Services, less than 18 percent of the third graders screened in
Wisconsin need treatment, far better than the national average,” said
Ann Boson, Director, Charitable Fund & Community Relations at Delta
Dental of Wisconsin. “This remarkable trend illustrates the significant
impact that school-based sealant programs can have on oral health. These
positive results will be felt for decades to come and is why Delta
Dental will continue our commitment to co-fund the Seal-A-Smile program.”

In recognition of Children’s Dental Health Month, the company also
announced the recipients of several other oral health grants for
organizations focused on improving outcomes and access to care for some
of the state’s most vulnerable populations. Delta Dental has so far
awarded $776,500 in children’s oral health grants for 2017.

“We’ve already seen the successful impact that dental intervention can
have on the prevention of cavities in children,” said Boson. “Delta
Dental of Wisconsin is committed to the oral health of all Wisconsin
residents. We will continue to support intervention, education, and
restoration, as well as the dentists who provide these much-needed
services.”

Awardees so far include:

Marquette University School of Dentistry
Fellowship Program

The grant will fund three dental fellows
who will provide much needed dental care for the communities around Eau
Claire and Appleton. They will work out of Chippewa Valley Technical
College and Tri-County Community Dental Clinic, where they will provide
dental care to primarily low-income children. The fellowship program
offers essential experience in providing public-health dentistry.

Brown County Oral Health Partnership West
Children’s Clinic

This grant will enable the Brown County
Oral Health Partnership to open an additional clinic in the county
equipped with six dental operatories. Funding will also create two more
school-based sealant teams to address the severe need for dental care
among vulnerable populations.

Columbia St. Mary’s Foundation Dental Programs
The
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Dental clinic provides free dental care for the
uninsured in Milwaukee, many of whom are below poverty level. In
addition, their sealant program served more than 10,000 children in the
2015/2016 school year. This year’s grant will fund the creation of
Ascension Smart Smiles Mobile Dental Clinic, a bus that will deliver
dental care to students at schools and ensure more children receive
urgent and restorative dental care.

Door County Medical Center Dental Clinic
The
Door County Medical Center Dental Clinic is the only clinic in the area
providing care to low-income families and those with Medicaid coverage.
The grant from Delta Dental will allow them to increase the size of the
clinic and purchase a digital X-ray, simultaneously making their new
clinic fully functional and decreasing the wait list.

Tri-County Community Dental Clinic
This
grant will fund the Focus on Children program, a preventive care and
treatment program aimed at reaching children at a young age with dental
screenings, preventive maintenance, and restorative services. The
program serves 67 schools through its school-based and mobile bus
programs and has led to a 37 percent increase in sealants placed and a
more than 10 percent decrease in emergency or urgent cases.

Madison Dental Initiative: Boys & Girls Club of
Madison at Allied Family Center

The Madison Dental
Initiative provides urgent and ongoing dental care to the uninsured or
those on Medicaid in Dane County. The Boys and Girls clinic site will
offer a more comfortable location for children to receive dental care.
The grant will cover construction costs of the new clinic.

As the state’s largest dental insurer, Delta Dental is committed to the
oral health of all Wisconsin residents. The organization is accepting
applications for 2017 oral health grants that focus on improving access
to dental care and programs that help prevent dental caries in
vulnerable populations. Eligibility requirements are available on the
company’s website, www.deltadentalwi.com/charitable-fund.

About Delta Dental of Wisconsin
For more than 50 years,
Delta Dental has been working to maintain healthy communities
and healthy teeth. We provide dental benefits and services to more
Wisconsin companies, subscribers, and their family members than any
other insurance carrier. Our mission is to improve oral health and
wellness by extending access to care, advancing science, and supporting
an effective oral-health workforce. Through Delta Dental of Wisconsin’s
Charitable Fund, we are committed to advancing solutions for
Wisconsin’s oral health.

Contacts

Delta Dental of Wisconsin
Amanda Lowery, 800-236-3713, extension
17420
Corporate Communications Manager
alowery@deltadentalwi.com

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