Current Location: Delta Dental Home Page > Delta Dental to Donate $80,000 to Dental Care for Disabled
January 6, 2009
05/09/05 - Delta Dental to Donate $80,000 to Dental Care for Disabled

ANKENY, Iowa - May 9, 2005 - Delta Dental Plan of Iowa will provide $80,000 in start-up funding for a new Donated Dental Services program to give free dental care to people with disabilities. The Iowa Donated Dental Services program will operate in conjunction with the National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped. Delta Dental will provide the start-up funding over a two-year period.

The Donated Dental Services program will be staffed by volunteer dentists, and will be dedicated to providing oral health care for people with physical or mental disabilities who cannot afford dental care. Most of the people who receive dental care through Donated Dental Services have a mental, physical or medical disability that limits employment and the financial means to access comprehensive dental care.
Delta Dental's two-year commitment will fund program development, training, recruitment of volunteer dentists, dental care coordination, and ongoing administration to be handled by staff of the National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped.

"Thanks to Delta Dental's generosity and commitment, Iowa will join 35 other states with well-established Donated Dental Services programs," said Larry Coffee, executive director, National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped.

Up to 12 percent of Iowa dentists are expected to volunteer to donate services during the two-year start-up period.
"Delta Dental Plan of Iowa is pleased to support the National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped and the Donated Dental Services program," said Dr. Ed Schooley, vice president and dental director, Delta Dental Plan of Iowa.

"The Foundation's purpose, which is to help vulnerable individuals enjoy better dental health, fits well with Delta Dental's ongoing public service mission to improve the oral health of Iowans," Dr. Schooley said. "The Donated Dental Services program is part of our ongoing work to provide funding for preventive, educational, research, and dental access-oriented programs to address the oral health care needs of underserved Iowans."
Thirteen national dental organizations, including the American Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, and the American College of Dentists, have endorsed the Donated Dental Services programs already established throughout the country.

Delta Dental Plan of Iowa is the largest and most experienced provider of dental benefits in the state. The Iowa plan is a member of the Delta Dental Plans Association, a national organization of not-for-profit Delta Dental plans. The national association is the largest dental benefits carrier in the nation providing coverage to more than 45 million people in nearly 76,000 employer groups.