Delta Dental of Arizona, through its foundation, provides grants to 33 nonprofits working to increase access to oral health services and provide nutritional programs to underserved populations throughout Arizona was awarded. Totaling $743,536, these funds will support projects and services that promote good oral health practices and increase access to dental care for underserved children, pregnant women, the elderly, and first-time adults. was awarded for

“This year we have expanded our guidelines to include non-dental programs, specifically nutrition access programs such as food banks, after-school and weekend meal programs for children, and senior delivery programs,” said Delta Dental. Executive Director Barb Kozuh said. Arizona Foundation. “I was thrilled to see the reaction from these organizations.”

Grants were awarded through two funding categories: Community Grants and Impact Grants.

said Michael Jones, president and chief executive officer of Delta Dental, Arizona and president of the Delta Dental Foundation, Arizona. “There are thousands of people in our communities who struggle with food insecurity every day. These individuals and their families are likely to have unmet dental needs and lack access to proper nutrition. Otherwise, preventive care and education will not protect them from long-term oral health problems.”

Community grants ranging from $5,000 to $30,000 and dental supplies as needed were awarded to 30 nonprofit organizations in Arizona, including:

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Adelante Healthcare

Arizona Dental Foundation

· AT Still University Clinical Education and Outreach Clinic

Back to school clothing drive

· Phoenix Children’s Museum

· Chiricahua Community Health Center

City of Chandler Public Housing

Coconino County Cooperative Expansion

Coconino County Health and Welfare Services

A community food bank in Southern Arizona

・Dental Lifeline Network

Desert Senita Dental Center

Diana Gregory Outreach Service

· Dignity Health Foundation

Flagstaff Medical Children’s Health Center

Gila county health and emergency management

・Street Kitchen

・ Live and learn

· Marana Healthcare

· Midwestern University

· National Kidney Foundation

· North Country Community Health Center

prescott community cupboard

Southwest human development

・Sun Life Health

Tucson Children’s Museum

UMOM New Day Center

・Sun Valley YMCA

Verde Valley Medical Center

Launched in 2020, the Delta Dental IMPACT Grant program offers organizations two years of grants totaling $100,000 each, with $50,000 awarded each year. Nonprofits invited to apply for these grants have provided oral health services and education to more than 650 children, pregnant women, or seniors and have a track record of financial and reporting responsibility.

2022-2023 IMPACT Recipients will receive a second $50,000 investment in the second year of the funding cycle.

· Esperança’s Arizona Oral Health Education Program. Educate children in Title 1 schools and various day care centers throughout the Valley on proper daily hygiene habits, proper brushing/flossing techniques, and the need for regular dental visits. Esperança will provide each participant with a Smiley Her Bag containing age-appropriate toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss, and refer them to dental care providers who offer reduced or free dental care.

· Tooth BUDDS is a group of affiliated dental hygienists who provide free dental screenings, tooth cleanings, sealants, fluoride varnishes and silver diamine fluoride applications at schools for children in Graham and Greenlee counties.

El Rio Health Center’s Pediatric Dental Integration Program will deploy dental health teams at five El Rio Health clinics in Tucson to provide direct dental screening, varnishing, and oral health education during children’s office visits. Zoom in.

This grant program is just one of the many ways Delta Dental of Arizona is working to improve the oral health of Arizona people. In January 2023, Arizona’s Delta Dental announced a partnership with the Great Arizona Puppet Theater to empower children through the creation of a traveling puppet show that will be performed in Title 1 schools and day care centers statewide over the next two years. We have made oral hygiene education more accessible and enjoyable for Year. The program hopes to educate approximately 13,000 children through approximately 160 shows each year in northern, central and southern Arizona. In 2022, Arizona’s Delta Dental partnered with Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health (NOAH) to release the “Oral Health Cookbook.” Created in partnership with nutritionists and oral health experts, our free cookbook features nearly 20 easy-to-make recipes that promote good health for the whole family. Available in English and Spanish, the book includes kid-friendly instructions for many of the recipes to encourage spending time together in the kitchen.

“Also in 2022, the Arizona Foundation’s Delta Dental will begin a partnership with Arizona PBS to launch an educational outreach program to promote oral health for children in rural areas of the state. The overall campaign focuses on the importance of brushing twice a day, regular toothbrush changes, and visits to the dentist twice a year to encourage family involvement in good oral hygiene habits. says Kozuh.

Delta Dental of Arizona has strategic partnerships with organizations in Arizona that share a desire to improve lives and promote optimal oral health.

“Delta Dental partners with AT Still University Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, Banner University Medical Center, Pacific Dental Services Foundation Dentists for Special Needs, St. Vincent de Paul, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Northern Arizona University College of Dental Hygiene. “To provide access to oral health education, oral disease prevention and dental care in underserved communities because we believe everyone deserves it,” said Jones. says.