Delta Dental Foundation Awards Over $73,000 in Grants to Improve Oral Health in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana

OKEMOS, Mich. - (Business Wire) The Delta Dental Foundation (DDF), the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, recently announced the recipients of its second annual Community Mini-Grant Program designed to support programs that address the oral health needs of residents in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. The announcement was made by Nancy E. Hostetler, senior vice president of the DDF.

Nearly 70 grant applications were received for the program, and 16 were made. Grants were awarded in increments up to $5,000.

“The need for community-based dental care is demonstrated by the significant number of applications we receive for the Community Mini-Grant Program,” said Hostetler. “Through these grants, we hope to increase access to dental treatment and oral health education for those in the communities we serve.”

The 2007 grantees are:

Michigan

• Center for Family Health, Oral Health DVD for Medical Professionals, Jackson, Mich. A grant of $5,000 will help to produce an educational DVD that will demonstrate the basic steps to screen infants and young children for dental disease.
• Michigan Oral Health Coalition, Cavity Free Kids program, Lansing, Mich. A grant of $5,000 to purchase curriculum developed by Delta Dental of Washington’s Foundation for its Cavity Free Kids program.
• Sweet Dreamzz, Inc., Sleep Kits, Detroit. A grant of $5,000 to provide toothbrushes and toothpaste for “sleep kits” distributed to children in need throughout the city.
• Henry Ford Health System, School-Based and Community Health Program, Detroit. A grant of nearly $5,000 will support the Dental Sealant and Referral Program for children in Detroit. The program provides dental sealants and oral health education to prevent childhood tooth decay.
• Macomb District Dental Hygienists Association, Heartfelt Project, Sterling Heights, Mich. A grant of $1,500 will help provide dental treatment and education to uninsured children in Macomb County.
• Cherry Street Health Services, Athletic Mouth Guard program, Grand Rapids, Mich. A grant of $3,264 to provide custom-fitted mouth guards for student athletes in three Grand Rapids high schools.

Ohio

• Ohio University, ComCorps Program, Athens County, Ohio. A grant of $4,559 to assist with oral health education and a fluoridation program for more than 1,500 underserved children in the county.
• Ross County Community Action Head Start, Chillicothe, Ohio. A grant of $5,000 will support the Head Start’s Dental Prevention and Education Program. The program is designed to improve the oral health of 300 low-income children ages three to five.
• Medina County Oral Health Coalition, Medina, Ohio. A grant of $4,974 to support the funding of a dental clinic inside the Medina County Health Department, which will provide free or affordable oral health services and supplies to underserved children in the county.
• Cincinnati Center for Children’s Dentistry, Cincinnati, Ohio. A grant of $5,000 to fund the center’s charitable program, Dental Care: Providing Access to Underserved Children. The center is an entity of the Cincinnati Dental Society whose members provide free service for the program.
• Ashland County Oral Health Services, Inc., Ashland, Ohio. A grant of $5,000 will support the county’s School Sealant Program, which provides oral health education and sealants to second graders in local schools and serves low-income children who wouldn’t regularly have access to oral health care.
• Columbus Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio. A grant of $4,861 to the hospital’s Oral Health for Immigrants’ Offspring – Linking Immigrants to Needed Care program to improve oral health of Somali children through education, community outreach and provision of needed dental services.

Indiana

• Neighborhood Health Clinics, Inc., Fort Wayne, Ind. A grant of $5,000 to the clinic’s Dental Sealant Program, which provides dental screenings, dental education and sealants to underserved second, third, sixth and seventh graders.
• Parents as Teachers (PAT) of Hammond/Lake County, Inc., Hammond, Ind. A grant of $4,168 to the local PAT program, which provides free education and support to parents with children prenatal to kindergarten. The funds will purchase supplies for the Dental Health Month programs.
• Hilltop Community Health Center, Valparaiso, Ind. A grant of $5,000 will go toward the center’s Seal Deal Program, which aims to improve oral hygiene and prevention among the Spanish-speaking population in the area. The program provides education materials, as well as fluoride treatments and sealants.
• Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, Ind. A grant of $5,000 will go toward a joint program with the Indiana Dental Association and the University’s Give Kids a Smile Day. The event helps children from low-income families get the dental care they need.

The 2008 Delta Dental Foundation Community Mini-Grant Program call for entries will be announced later this year.

The Delta Dental Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization established in 1980 by Delta Dental of Michigan, which also operates Delta Dental of Ohio and Delta Dental of Indiana. The Foundation’s goals are to support education and research for the advancement of dental science and to promote the oral health of the public through education and service activities, particularly for those with special needs.

Delta Dental
Kristin Kovach, Corporate and Public Affairs
517-347-5244
kkovach@deltadentalmi.com