Foundation distributes $825,000 in statewide grants as free clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers face mounting pressure to do more with less.

• Estimates indicate Virginia can only meet 66% of patient demand for preventative care delivered by dental hygienists. 
• 103 of 133 Virginia localities are Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas.
• Virginia's free clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers serve hundreds of thousands of uninsured and low-income patients annually, with little state dental funding and a shrinking volunteer base.
• Free clinics saw a dramatic 47% increase in patients over the past two years. Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation awards $825,000 to strengthen Virginia’s oral health safety net and workforce.

April 9, 2026

Media contact: Jeremy Butterfield, jeremy.butterfield@deltadentalva.com

ROANOKE, Va. — As Virginia's safety-net struggles to meet surging demand for dental care with dwindling resources, the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation announced today that it has awarded $825,000 in grants to 13 safety-net clinics across the commonwealth in its continuing investment in an oral health infrastructure.
 
Free clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers across Virginia are doing more with less. They continue to absorb growing patient loads even as costs rise, volunteer capacity plateaus and the broader oral health workforce shrinks. According to KFF, an estimated 310,000 Virginians are expected to lose health coverage from the loss of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace tax credits and Medicaid changes from H.R. 1. This increase in uninsured patients comes as free clinics have already seen a 47% rise in patients over two years.
 
“Although Virginia’s dentists and hygienists are committed and talented, we’re dealing with a severe shortage that forces some patients to wait 12 to 18 months for preventive care,” said Frank Lucia, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Virginia. “Tooth decay continues to be one of the most common chronic diseases and Virginia is facing one of the country's worst shortages of oral health professionals in the nation.”
 
Virginia’s oral health workforce crisis is felt in every corner of the state. Approximately 2/3 of Virginia’s 133 localities are designated Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, Virginia can only meet 66% of patient demand for preventative care delivered by dental hygienists; that’s second to last in the country in hygienist workforce adequacy.
 
While grant funding devoted to Virginia’s safety-net clinics is not the final solution, the subsidies do provide a short-term stopgap in a widening oral health void.

 

Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation Grantees

• Augusta Regional Dental Clinic (Fishersville), $75,000 — Supports salary of full‑time dentist
• Bradley Free Clinic (Roanoke), $50,000 — Supports VCU School of Dentistry students, and part‑time dental provider
• Charlottesville Free Clinic (Charlottesville), $45,000 — Supports salary of full‑time dentist
• CHIP of Roanoke Valley (Roanoke), $50,000 — Supports bilingual care coordinator
• Community Dental Center (Charlottesville), $57,500 — Subsidizes salary for second dentist
• Cross-Over Ministry Inc. (Richmond), $75,000 — Supports salary of clinic dental director 
• Healing Hands Health Center Inc. (Bristol), $75,000 — Supports salary of clinic Dental Director 
• New Horizons/Kuumba (Roanoke), $50,000 — Supports funding for full‑time dentist
• Lackey and Gloucester-Mathews Clinics (Yorktown), $100,000 — Funds full‑time shared dentist
• Neighborhood Health (Alexandria), $100,000 — New equipment for dental operatory
• Northern Neck Middlesex Free Health Clinic (Kilmarnock), $75,000 — Supports dentist salary
• Rockbridge Area Free Clinic (Lexington), $72,600 — Funds new dental X‑ray machines

In addition to grant funding, the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation is implementing sustainable workforce solutions with partners throughout the state. Programs include the statewide Loan Repayment Program for emerging dentists and hygienists, the creation of the Dental Health Summer Institute for high school students, and advocacy efforts with state legislators. 

Currently, the Foundation and oral health partners are advocating for $3 million in state allocated matching funds to expand the Virginia Community College System’s dental hygiene programs through Virginia’s Oral Health Workforce Funding Pool. The fund would create a sustainable model for program growth and a meaningful, long-term boost to Virginia’s oral health workforce.