Delta Dental Plan Honored for Commitment to Oral Health

Delta Dental Plan of Minnesota has received an award of appreciation from Children's Dental Services in recognition of the company's efforts to advance the oral health of Minnesota's underprivileged youth. Delta Dental's grants of more than $200,000 to CDS have helped serve the oral health needs of more than 30,000 children from economically disadvantaged families.

"As a nonprofit organization, Delta Dental Plan of Minnesota believes it has a responsibility to offer affordable access to dental care. We realize that not everyone can afford commercial dental insurance, and we fully support Children's Dental Services and their mission," said Michael Walsh, president and CEO of Delta Dental Plans of Minnesota. "Dental health is important to a person's overall health, and early intervention can help prevent more serious issues down the road."

CDS provides dental care to more than 10,000 children per year, and screening and follow-up to more than 11,000 school-age children. In addition to providing high-quality dental service at 12 locations in the Twin Cities Metro area, CDS hosts an internship program, an oral health screening program and various outreach programs.

"Delta Dental Plan of Minnesota provides a wide range of support for the essential, safety-net dental services that Children's Dental Services offers to the low-income children of the Twin Cities community," said Sarah Wovcha, CDS executive director. "The partnership between Delta Dental Plan of Minnesota and CDS has enabled the creation of innovative programs that not only serve the needy children of our community, but also are models for public dental health partnerships and outreach efforts."

Delta Dental Plan of Minnesota, which provides philanthropic support to numerous organizations across the state, is the sole supporter of the CDS screening and follow-up program. The company also partners with CDS in outreach and prevention efforts to high-risk communities by funding CDS participation at health fairs and other events throughout the Twin Cities.

"We believe CDS is one of the most effective, efficient ways to reach low-income children and provide oral screenings and follow-up care," said Walsh. "This is one of the finest examples of a group that is dedicated to children and their health. They fill a unique role within the community because they serve uninsured children who may otherwise go without care."

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