CHICAGO, December 14 – Oral Health America (OHA) recently received a $50,000 grant from Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation for Tooth Wisdom®: Get Smart About Your Mouth.

With this funding, Oral Health America will continue to grow Tooth Wisdom®: Get Smart About Your Mouth (TW:GSAYM), an oral health education workshop for community dwelling older adults. This workshop empowers older adults with a knowledge and sense of self-efficacy to care for their oral health. Delivered where older adults naturally congregate, the workshop covers the basics of daily care, with benefits going beyond a single day of health education, impacting the quality of life for older adults.

Through this grant from Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation, OHA will expand the training of the hygienists that lead the workshops with additional emphasis on cultural competency, health education theory, oral health and older adults.

“With so many disparities in oral health for older adults, the need for programming to increase health literacy and promote good oral health habits is crucial,” said OHA President and CEO Beth Truett. “We are grateful for Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation’s generosity in continuing our Tooth Wisdom® project.”

“Maintaining good oral health is crucial to the overall health of aging adults,” said Joe Lally, Executive Director of Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation. “We are so excited to partner with Oral Health America in their efforts to address the growing need for educational opportunities for older adults. The more we can educate, the better we can prevent serious problems.”

Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation focuses on choosing grant recipients that show innovative strategies to expand oral health access for Minnesota’s underserved populations; demonstrate significant opportunity to promote and expand preventive and education services; and show an ability to measure results.

Learn more about Oral Health America by visiting oralhealthamerica.org or call us at 312.836.9900.