“Research and education are important components in the fight against dental disease because they address cause and prevention, not just the symptoms. The money that we spend today to finance such projects will reap dividends tomorrow in the form of improved oral health and reduced treatment costs for more people.”
— Marilynn Belek, DMD, executive vice president and chief dental officer
Ongoing studies and their results
How dentistry may help people to stop smoking
Sealants prevent cavities in kids
The true cost of a cavity
Crown replacement, other data warehouse studies
Health, education and research fund
The Delta Dental Health, Education and Research Fund allows us to help finance health, education and research projects in dentistry, health and human services, and civic and community affairs.
Two types of awards are available:
The Dental Health and Education Contribution supports programs that help develop and heighten dental awareness among the California public as well as programs that improve health and increase access to professional dental care.
The Standard Dental Research Grant supports professional research related to dental health, with priority on projects related to the delivery of oral health care, including those with significant potential for improving oral health and reducing treatment costs.
Most recently, the Health, Education and Research Fund has provided a total of a quarter million dollars to the following projects/organizations:
- Dentists Without Borders
- National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped
- Smile Keepers Dental Project
- Los Angeles Oral Health Foundation
- Tooth Mobile of Santa Clara (a dental office on wheels
reaching underserved populations)
- California Dental Association/New Dentist Conference
- Los Angeles Dental Society
- Association of African American Professionals Christmas Gift Program
- Calaveras County Dental Project
- Robert F. Kennedy Medical Center Mobile Health Care Initiative/Children’s Dental Center
- Clínica de Tolosa Dental Clinic
- Anaheim Union High School District Dental Clinic
- Silva Pediatric Dental Clinic Project
- Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation Community Dental Clinic
- California Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped Donated Dental Services Program
- University of California, San Francisco: New Dental Delivery Systems
- University of California, Los Angeles seminar: Bacterial Biofilm and Dental Plaques
- Lebow Memorial Children’s Dental Health Foundation
- The Dental Health Foundation Community Forum on Oral Health
- San Diego Dental Health Coalition Oral Health Conference
- University of the Pacific School of Dentistry, Kids in the Klinic Program
- Oral Health America — National Spit Tobacco Education Program
- San Diego Forum on Oral Health (sponsored by the San Diego Dental Society)
- Sponsorship of the first-ever National Fluoridation Summit
- Sponsorship of the Alameda County Forum on Oral Health
Dentist education
The Delta Dental Health, Education and Research Fund also awards annual grants to dental schools in several of its states to fund presentation of continuing education
courses for dental professionals. This program was recently expanded to include not only the five dental schools in California but also dental schools in Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas. These grants help dentists obtain the continuing education units they need while
generating revenue for the dental schools. In California alone, more than 10,000 dentists have attended these courses, generating more than $525,000 in gross revenues for the schools.
Read about Delta Dental's particpation in community events that benefit underserved populations.
Learn more about Delta Dental's expansion of its community contributions program in five states and Washington D.C. |
