Delta Dental of Arizona Contributed More Than $2 Million Through Community Giving in 2023

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (June 20, 2024) — Today, the Delta Dental Institute released its 2023 Community Impact Report highlighting the philanthropic investments that Delta Dental made last year to support the oral and overall health of communities across the country. According to the report, Delta Dental of Arizona contributed $2.1 million, positively impacting 252,094 people.

By the numbers:

• $2.1 million donated to improve health and wellness in Arizona
• 178,352 toothbrushes given away
• 169,790 tubes of toothpaste donated
• 112,354 dental floss pods provided
• 252,094 Arizonans across all 15 counties receiving oral health education and/or services
• 33,081 Arizonans receiving food insecurity and nutrition education programs
• 109 nonprofits partnering with Delta Dental of Arizona
• 946 hours of volunteer service by Delta Dental of Arizona employees
• “Delta Dental of Arizona is focused on investing in programs that expand access to care, advance health equity, build resilient communities, and innovate for a healthier tomorrow,” said Michael Jones, president and chief executive officer of Delta Dental of Arizona. “We are exceptionally proud of a number of our key community programs and initiatives that will make a lasting impact across Arizona, notably the groundbreaking partnership with the Banner Health Foundation to expand the Banner Health Foundation Hospital Oral Care and Periodontal Disease Education (HOPE) program protocol; the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation Grant Program; the Delta Dental of Arizona Oral Health Clinic at St. Vincent de Paul, and critical work with Phoenix Children’s Hospital.”

Nationwide, Delta Dental collectively invested over $106 million to support programs in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, impacting over 16 million lives. Over the last decade, Delta Dental has invested nearly $2 billion to support such programs in communities across the country.

National highlights from the report include:

• Expanding access to care: Delta Dental provided more than 1.7 million free or low-cost dental screenings and exams, distributed over 1.8 million oral health kits, and supplied nearly 200,000 students with free sealants to help more people access oral health care. To elevate the overall health of the communities we serve, we invested more than $14 million in community health and wellness programs.
• Advancing health equity: Delta Dental invested over $21 million in training, education, and workforce development programs to improve patient outcomes. We launched the Driving Greater Diversity in the Oral Health Workforce campaign and invested $725,000 in the inaugural year of our industry-leading Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund, to help ensure the next generation of the oral health workforce better reflects the communities we serve.
• Building resilient communities: Last year, Delta Dental team members dedicated more than 30,000 hours to community service programs. We distributed more than $1.4 million toward disaster relief and related activities, largely through our partnership with the American Red Cross, and our water filtration systems helped eliminate the use of over 1.3 million water bottles.
• Innovating for a healthier tomorrow: Delta Dental partners with leading organizations and academic institutions on research to create solutions that will advance the future of oral and overall health care. Last year, more than 2,700 physicians and oral health professionals participated in programs to apply medical-dental integration practices in their care settings, supporting over 107,000 patients.

Delta Dental also celebrates five years of the Delta Dental Institute, which was launched in 2019 to advance oral health for all Americans and to shine a brighter spotlight on the connection between oral and overall health. Since then, the Delta Dental Institute has led and engaged in significant research, community outreach, and advocacy initiatives designed to ensure that everyone understands this important connection and has access to the care they need. Today, an overwhelming majority of Americans recognize oral health as a critical part of overall health, showing that our work, and that of our community partners, is making a difference.

The report also includes a new video and an interactive map featuring programs in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The full report is available online at www.deltadentalinstitute.com/cir.

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 nearly $2 billion to improve the oral and overall health of our communities.

About 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.