Programs
In addition to a robust grant program, the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation also supports programs that increase access to oral health care. This is done through the Foundation or in partnership with other organizations with similar missions.
Dental Health Virtual Summer Institute
The Dental Health Summer Institute is a free course provided by the Old Dominion University Gene W. Hirschfeld School of Dental Hygiene and the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation. The program is for high school students interested in learning more about dental health professions.
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School-Based Oral Health Program
Through a partnership with Virginia Health Catalyst, the Virginia Department of Health, the Virginia Department of Education and our safety net partners, the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation has co-funded a school-based oral health learning collaborative to expand the number of programs across the commonwealth. This learning collaborative connects safety net providers and local school staff, provides resources and guidance to help build relationships and get the services up and running, and creates space for shared learning among the participants.
Learn moreCenters for Inclusive Dentistry
A partnership between the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation and the Virginia Department of Health is funding adaptive equipment and specialized training to help safety-net clinics meet the oral health care needs of persons with disabilities in their region.
The Centers for Inclusive Dentistry certification program launched in early 2023 with two participating clinics and a goal to add two additional clinics each year through 2025. The Foundation sends teams of four from participating clinics to a three-day training at the NYU Dentistry Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities. Through a combination of didactic and hands-on sessions, attendees learn how to better serve patients and families with special health care needs through effective communication, ergonomics, patient workflow adjustments and desensitization techniques. Additionally, teams learn how to make accommodations in treatment planning and in their clinics’ physical spaces. Selected clinics attend the training for free, receive $10,000 for equipment purchases or desensitization tools and participate in a learning collaborative to share resources and learnings with other Centers for Inclusive Dentistry certified clinics.
For information on how to apply, email Polly Raible at polly.raible@deltadentalva.com.
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Partnership
Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation established the first integrated oral health curriculum at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine through a $1M endowment. The curriculum includes lectures and clinical training. The program also established an annual oral health lectureship to highlight the important link between oral health and overall health.
Pediatric Dental Residency
In 2023, the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation and Carilion Clinic Foundation announced a new partnership and funding agreement to expand children’s oral health care services in the region through the development of a pediatric dental residency program at Carilion Clinic. In addition to investments made by Carilion, the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation funded a $2M endowment to provide ongoing, annual programming support. The partnership was created in direct response to the nationwide shortage of oral health services for underserved and vulnerable populations; a need echoed in the Roanoke region.
Carilion Clinic is completing the Commission on Dental Accreditation process to have the residency approved and tentatively expects to open residency applications in 2026.
LIFT Center
The Fallon Park neighborhood in southeast Roanoke, Virginia faces significant health challenges, with nearly 75% of students living in low-income conditions or below the poverty level. Dedicated founding partners and community leaders — including Delta Dental of Virginia, Carilion Clinic, Freedom First, Roanoke City Public Schools, and The Roanoke Women’s Foundation — worked together to enhance health conditions in this community. They helped to create an integrated system of care at Fallon Park Elementary School. The Fallon Park Community Health Center aims to provide access to high-quality healthcare and coordinated services to address the underlying causes of poor health.
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