Delta Dental invested more than $102.5 million in communities in 2020, supporting more than 2,400 programs, impacting 24.7 million lives, and volunteering 20,000 hours, which is more than ever before in the company’s 65-year history.
According to the Delta Dental Institute’s 2020 Community Impact Report, Delta Dental companies across the United States also committed more than $1.1 billion to COVID-19 response relief.
“As our country grappled with a pandemic, injustice, and lingering gaps in oral healthcare access and education, Delta Dental stood with our communities to meet their most pressing needs,” said James W. Hutchinson, president and CEO of the Delta Dental Plans Association.
“In a time of crisis and uncertainty, Delta Dental never wavered in its enduring commitment to achieve access and equity for all,” Hutchinson said.
The 2020 Community Impact Report, “Our Promise to Our Communities,” centers on Delta Dental’s mission to advance the oral and overall health of its communities, the company said. Last year, Delta Dental supported programs in all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.
The report highlights three main areas of giving in 2020: advancing oral health, responding to COVID-19, and addressing health inequities and disparities.
For example, Delta Dental said its companies served communities’ oral health by supporting direct dental treatment in underserved communities, water fluoridation initiatives, and oral health education.
Delta Dental also said its companies responded to COVID-19 by delivering loans to safety net dental clinics, enabling dental offices to acquire personal protective equipment, and supporting local safety nets like food banks.
Plus, Delta Dental’s companies invested in organizations such as the NAACP and the National Urban League, reached underserved communities of color with oral health programs, and supported scholarships and training for dentists of color.
“Community is everything to us at Delta Dental,” said Vivian Vasallo, executive director of the Delta Dental Institute. “While the memories of 2020 will stay with us for years to come, so will the positive impact the Delta Dental companies had on millions of lives by keeping our promise to serve the oral and overall health of our communities.”
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