Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation has announced its largest-ever grant distribution, totaling $950,000 to support 14 organizations across the state. The funding is aimed at improving oral health by expanding access to dental care and addressing the state’s dental workforce shortage.
While Delta Dental is a national provider of dental insurance, its charitable foundation operates only in select states, including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Virginia.
These grants are specifically directed towards safety-net organizations that assist uninsured or Medicaid recipients, as well as educational initiatives aimed at increasing dental care availability and tackling the workforce gap.
According to a report from the Virginia Health Catalyst, 103 of Virginia’s 133 localities are designated as dental health professional shortage areas. The shortage affects over 2 million residents, as highlighted in data from KFF, a nonprofit health policy research group. This shortage is particularly severe among dentists and dental hygienists, with many areas lacking adequate access to dental professionals.
Virginia also faces a significant gap in the availability of dental services for uninsured, underinsured, or Medicaid-insured patients. Only 9% of Virginia’s dentists and 6% of its dental hygienists work in safety-net settings, such as free and charitable clinics or federally qualified health centers.
Currently, Virginia is home to 63 free clinics and 31 federally qualified health centers, which together operate more than 200 locations across the state, providing essential dental care to underserved populations.
