To help meet the dental health needs of children and adults, Delta Dental of Missouri – the state’s leading dental benefits provider and a non-profit organization – recently awarded Kansas City University (KCU) a $50,000 grant to support its Oral Health Assistance Fund to help provide free care to underserved patients without dental insurance in southwest Missouri.
The funding is part of Delta Dental of Missouri’s 2024 mission giving initiatives, which included awarding nearly $350,000 in oral health grants to eight organizations to support oral health initiatives, educational programs and charitable causes across the state.
“I am very thankful to Delta Dental of Missouri for this grant to support uncompensated care. Many of the patients receiving dental care in our Harry M. Cornell Oral Health Center have not seen a dentist in many years and lack of financial resources is the primary reason,” said Linda C. Niessen, DMD, founding dean and vice provost of oral health affairs for KCU’s College of Dental Medicine. “This grant will help these patients receive the dental care that they need.”
The company awards grants for general operations, programs, projects and capacity-building efforts promoting the oral health of individuals in Missouri. Objectives of its grant program include:
· Reducing oral disease through education, prevention and treatment
· Ensuring access to affordable, timely and high-quality dental care
· Enhancing the awareness of good oral health with a focus on children and individuals in need
· Making a measurable difference in the oral health of Missourians
· Helping to ensure that Missouri is among the states with the highest indicators of oral health.
Delta Dental of Missouri also awarded more than $132,000 in grants to three organizations in South Carolina. To learn more, visit https://www.deltadentalmo.com/AboutUs/oral-health-grant-program.
About Delta Dental of Missouri
Delta Dental of Missouri is the state’s leading dental benefits provider and a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. It provides more than 2.19 million members with access to affordable, high-quality dental care through group plans tailored to meet the needs of organizations of all sizes, from large corporations to small businesses with two or more employees. Delta Dental also offers dental benefit plans directly to individuals and families. It also provides access to affordable, high-quality vision care through group vision benefit plans. The company proudly supports oral health initiatives, educational programs and charitable causes that help educate people about the importance of dental health and provide free dental care to those in need. Delta Dental of Missouri also created the Missouri Dental Care Resource Guide to help individuals access information about low-cost and free dental care options in their area—available online at www.DeltaDentalMO.com/ResourceGuide1. To learn more about the company, visit www.DeltaDentalMO.com.
