Investing in Wisconsin’s Oral Health

Delta Dental of Wisconsin Gives Back to State and Community Programs

STEVENS POINT, Wis.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Throughout Wisconsin schools, one in five children is currently
experiencing an untreated decayed tooth, affecting his or her ability to
learn, eat, play, or even speak.

In 2015, Delta Dental of Wisconsin increased its commitment to help fund
the state’s Seal-A-Smile program alongside the Wisconsin Department of
Health Services. The program is administered by Children’s Health
Alliance and provides oral health screenings, fluoride varnish, and
sealants when necessary to third-graders around the state at no cost to
their family. The program targets schools where 35 percent or more
children receive free or reduced meals. Seal-A-Smile visited more than
800 schools in 2015 and provided sealants to 27,000 children.

The six-year funding collaboration resulted in a significant expansion
of this sealant-based program, which is now provided in nearly every
county in the state. This unique private/public partnership has been
considered a successful model for sealant programs around the country.
For the second year in a row, the Pew Charitable Trust awarded Wisconsin
an “A” grade for our sealant program – one of only five states in the
nation to receive this rating.

“Our support of the Seal-A-Smile program is making an impact now and
will continue into the future,” noted Fred Eichmiller, DDS, vice
president and science officer at Delta Dental of Wisconsin. “We know
that 75 percent of sealed teeth will remain cavity-free, compared to a
third of teeth without sealants. Many of the oral disease and decay that
is common today will become less of an issue as these children move into
adulthood.”

As part of Delta Dental of Wisconsin’s commitment to oral health, the
company awarded a number of oral health grants that focused on improving
outcomes and access to care for some of the state’s most vulnerable
populations totaling $803,000. The additional awardees included:

St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center, Green Bay
Saint
Mary’s Hospital in Green Bay provides pediatric dental services for
children who have extensive decay or individuals with special needs who
require hospitalized sedation in order to receive dental treatment. The
grant provided additional dental equipment to help with a growing demand
for these services.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Dental Clinic, Milwaukee
The
grant provides urgent dental care services to uninsured individuals that
fall below the poverty level in Milwaukee. Each year, approximately
2,000 individuals receive necessary treatment with this grant funding.

Community Dental Clinic, Ft. Atkinson
Community
Dental Clinic has partnered with Fort HealthCare Hospital and local
dentists to help provide oral health services for individuals with
special needs who require sedation during dental treatment. A grant from
Delta Dental will purchase the needed dental equipment for the hospital
and add another dental operatory within the community clinic.

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC),
Green Bay
There were more than 900 individuals on a waiting
list to receive care from dental hygiene students at NWTC. A request for
funding was approved to equip four additional operatories at the
college. Individuals, many of whom are elderly and veterans, receive
care from students at greatly reduced fees for screenings and preventive
services.

American Diabetes Association – Camp Marrakesh and
Camp Lakota, Wisconsin
Delta Dental of Wisconsin has been
providing grant support for the Wisconsin Chapter of the American
Diabetes Association for camps that help children and their families
cope with a new diagnosis. The camps recently added an oral health
education component to provide awareness on the critical importance of
good oral habits for individuals with diabetes in order to avoid
infections in the mouth.

Open Arms Clinic, Elkhorn
The grant
from Delta Dental helped expand the clinic’s ability to provide dental
services and assisted in adding a part time bilingual dental assistant.
Volunteer dentists and hygienists provide oral healthcare to low-income
patients.

Northlakes Community Clinic, Polk County
Northlakes
Community Clinic is the sealant provider to sixteen counties in northern
Wisconsin. The agency recently took over the school-based sealant
programs in Polk and Barron counties. However, when children were found
to have decay, it was difficult to find dental providers to provide
restorative care in this rural area. A grant from Delta Dental of
Wisconsin will allow the agency to re-open and modernize a dental clinic
to help address the shortage of providers.

Bread of Healing, Milwaukee
The
low-income patients served by the dental clinic at Bread of Healing have
extensive dental care needs. A fund has been created through a grant
from Delta Dental to assist with providing crowns, dentures, and other
restorative expenses. Volunteer dentists and assistants provide the care
at the dental clinic.

Church Health Services, Beaver Dam
In
partnership with Marquette University, dental students will begin
rotations at Church Health and the grant from Delta Dental will help add
two operatories to provide dental services to individuals who have
Medicaid insurance or are uninsured. In addition, the agency received a
pilot project grant to provide care to Amish children in the region.

Special Olympics-Special Smiles, Statewide
Delta
Dental has been the sole sponsor of the Healthy Athletes Special Smiles
program of Special Olympics for the past 10 years. Dental screenings,
oral health education, fluoride varnish, and when appropriate, a fitted
mouth guard are provided at no charge to the athletes at four Special
Olympic events across the state.

Wisconsin Dental Association Foundation’s Donated
Dental Services Program, Statewide
Delta Dental has
supported Donated Dental for the past 13 years. The program provides
dental care to Wisconsin residents who are unable to afford treatment
because of permanent disability or advanced age (65 and older) and who
do not have access to dental insurance through the state’s Medical
Assistance Program, Medicare, or private insurance.

Waukesha Community Dental Clinic, Waukesha
Since
2007, Waukesha Community Dental Clinic has been providing dental care to
children in the county who are uninsured or have Medicaid insurance. A
Delta Dental grant was provided to purchase equipment to be used in
their hospital dentistry program at ProHealth Care Moreland Surgery
Center to treat children and individuals with special needs who have
excessive dental needs. Last year, WCCDC treated more than 2,670 youth
and provided educational outreach to 1,200 additional children. The
clinic also provides care to adults with urgent dental needs.

As the state’s largest dental insurer, Delta Dental is committed to the
oral health of all Wisconsin residents. The organization is accepting
applications for 2016 oral health grants that focus on improving access
to dental care, screenings, science/research projects, or oral health
workforce scholarships. Eligibility requirements are available on the
company’s website, www.deltadentalwi.com/charitable-fund.

About Delta Dental of Wisconsin
For more than 50 years,
Delta Dental has been working to maintain healthy communities and
healthy teeth. We provide dental benefits and services to more Wisconsin
companies, subscribers, and their family members than any other
insurance carrier. Our mission is to improve oral health and wellness by
extending access to care, advancing science, and supporting an effective
oral-health workforce. Through Delta Dental of Wisconsin’s Charitable
Fund, we are committed to advancing solutions for Wisconsin’s
oral health.

Contacts

Delta Dental of Wisconsin
Amanda Lowery, 800-236-3713,
extension 17420
Corporate Communications Manager
alowery@deltadentalwi.com