The Delta Dental Foundation of North Carolina, the newly launched philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of North Carolina, has committed $1 million to expand access to oral healthcare and strengthen the state’s dental workforce.
The funding will support dental hygiene and dental assisting programs at community colleges, university dental programs, and community organizations serving children and adults. Recipients include the University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry, for digital technology and need-based scholarships; East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine, for its special care dentistry program; and Wake Technical Community College.
All 100 North Carolina counties are designated, in whole or in part, as dental health professional shortage areas, and four rural counties have no practicing dentists, the foundation said.
The pledge follows other Delta Dental Foundation efforts to expand access, including a $5 million grant for underserved seniors in the Mississippi Delta.
