Today, the Delta Dental Institute released its 2020 Community Impact Report, highlighting the investments the Delta Dental companies and their foundations made in 2020 to advance oral health, respond to COVID-19, and address health inequities and disparities. Delta Dental invested more than $102.5 million in communities in 2020, supporting over 2,400 programs, impacting 24.7 million lives, and volunteering 20,000 hours—more than ever before in Delta Dental’s 65-year history. In addition to their community impact engagement, Delta Dental companies across the country also committed $1.1 billion in COVID-19 response relief.
"As our country grappled with a pandemic, injustice, and lingering gaps in oral health care access and education, Delta Dental stood with our communities to meet their most pressing needs," said James W. Hutchison, President & CEO, Delta Dental Plans Association. "In a time of crisis and uncertainty, Delta Dental never wavered in its enduring commitment to achieve access and equity for all."
The 2020 Community Impact Report, "Our Promise to Our Communities," centers on Delta Dental's mission to advance the oral and overall health of its communities. Last year, Delta Dental supported programs in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
The report highlights three main areas of giving in 2020: advancing oral health, responding to COVID-19, and addressing health inequities and disparities.
Delta Dental companies served communities' oral health by supporting direct dental treatment in underserved communities; water fluoridation initiatives; and oral health education.
Delta Dental companies responded to COVID-19 by delivering loans to safety net dental clinics; enabling dental offices to acquire PPE; and supporting local safety nets like food banks.
Delta Dental companies reacted to the country's struggle with its long history of racial injustice by investing in organizations like the NAACP and the National Urban League; reaching underserved communities of color with oral health programs; and supporting scholarships and training for dentists of color.
"Community is everything to us at Delta Dental,” said Vivian Vasallo, Executive Director, Delta Dental Institute. “While the memories of 2020 will stay with us for years to come, so will the positive impact the Delta Dental companies had on millions of lives by keeping our promise to serve the oral and overall health of our communities.”
Delta Dental's 2020 Community Impact Report features a digital story component with an interactive map showcasing the Delta Dental companies' and foundations' community impact work in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
The full report is available online at 2020cir.deltadental.com.
About Delta Dental Plans Association
Based in Oak Brook, Illinois, Delta Dental Plans Association is the not-for-profit national association of the 39 independent Delta Dental companies. Through these companies, Delta Dental is the nation's largest dental insurance provider, covering more than 80 million Americans and offering the country's largest dental network with approximately 153,000 participating dentists. Over the last decade, Delta Dental companies provided over $1.75 billion in direct and in-kind support to improve the oral health of our communities across the country.
About the Delta Dental Institute
The Delta Dental Institute is dedicated to advancing oral health for all Americans in partnership with the Delta Dental companies and dedicated partners across the country. With expertise rooted in Delta Dental's rich history of oral health leadership, we engage in and support oral health research, community outreach, and advocacy, striving to ensure everyone understands the importance of oral health to overall health and has access to the care that they need.
