Future Smiles, Nevada’s largest school-based preventive and restorative dental health program, received a $150,000 grant from the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation to support community dental outreach in the 2021-22 school year.
Future Smiles will use the grant to buy supplies to serve 4,000 underserved and uninsured Las Vegas children with its school-based sealant program and at the NWP Dental Wellness Center. Services will include oral health education, tooth brushing supplies “smile bags,” dental sealants, fluoride varnish, dental exams, X-rays, cleanings, fillings and extractions. The grant will also support Future Smiles’ program expansion.
The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California and its affiliated companies, works with nonprofit partners across its 15 states and Washington, D.C. enterprise to increase access to oral health care, fund oral health education and support organizations that serve vital community needs. Since 2011, the Foundation has awarded more than $60 million in grants.
“Future Smiles is honored to have received the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation support for School Year 2021-22, said Terri Chandler, founder and executive director for Future Smiles. “The need for quality oral care this year is especially critical, as many children lacked access to dental services during the pandemic.”
“We are proud to partner with Future Smiles to improve the oral health needs of underserved children throughout the greater Las Vegas area,” said Kenzie Ferguson, vice president of Foundation and corporate social responsibility for Delta Dental of California. “The partnership helps us achieve our broader mutual goals of increasing access to oral health care to those in need.”
In a congratulations letter to Chandler, foundation Executive Director Kenzie Ferguson wrote, “We are committed to helping secure and protect access to quality healthcare and are determined to build healthier, more impactful collaborative communities with partners like you. Together, we can drive ever-greater change and more lasting outcomes.”
In 2020-21, during the coronavirus pandemic, Future Smiles performed 2,058 oral health screenings, taught 2,608 clients through oral health education, provided 1,336 fluoride treatments and managed 1,007 dental care cases.
The group also performed 890 prophylaxis exams and applied 3,121 sealants. Future Smiles added that 40% of the people it served were on Medicaid and 60% were uninsured.
About Delta Dental Community Care Foundation The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation partners with local communities to increase access to care, support dental education, and fund research that advances the oral health field. Since 2011, the Foundation has awarded more than $60 million across 15 states and the District of Columbia. The Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California and its affiliated companies, including Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania and Delta Dental of New York, Inc
About Future Smiles Founded in 2009, local nonprofit Future Smiles is Southern Nevada’s largest school-based preventive and restorative dental health program. Since its inception, Future Smiles has provided low-cost or no-cost dental services to more than 150,000 children with critical dental needs who lack access to dental care. Its goal is to improve oral health by eliminating health care barriers ending dental pain and suffering for Southern Nevada’s children. To learn more about Future Smiles or to make a donation, please visit www.futuresmiles.net.