Smile Report

Welcome to our 2024 Q2 newsletter! You’re receiving this email because we’ve sent you information in the past, or you reached out and asked to be added to our mailing list. We’re glad you’re here, and we’re excited to share our updates and stories with you!

Save the date

June

17

July

10

July

15

Our 2024 Grant Cycle is just around the corner. Join us Wednesday, July 10 from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. for an information session outlining the updates and timeline of this year’s grant cycle. Registration is required and recommended, especially for first-time applicants. After the session, applications will be accepted from July 15 through August 16, 2024. If you’re unable to attend the info session, we will record the meeting and share it on our website.

If you would like to connect before you apply, (we recommend that you do, if we have not funded you in the past four years), please email Lauren Stoughton (lauren.stoughton@deltadentalva.com) or Polly Raible (polly.raible@deltadentalva.com) to set up a 30-minute call.

Partner Highlights

We’re excited to share the remarkable progress of one of our 2023 grantees, Hampton Ecumenical Lodging and Provisions, Inc. (HELP)! With the support of our grant, HELP has expanded access to 3D printed crowns, dentures and nightguards to patients at four of Virginia’s safety net clinics — Chesapeake Care Clinic, Charlottesville Free Clinic, Free Clinic of Central Virginia and Northern Neck Middlesex Free Health Clinic.

HELP has been using 3D technology for more than a year, and using a hub and spoke model, they purchased four intraoral scanners for the partner clinics. In addition, HELP staff trained partner clinic staff on how to use the scanners. All the scans from the partner clinics are sent to HELP for printing within approximately 24 - 48 hours of receiving the image. HELP then mails the 3D crown, nightguard or denture back to the partner clinic, drastically reducing production time. Now, patients can receive a full set of dentures in as little as one week, and crowns in as little as one to two days.

These streamlined processes not only enhance efficiency but also significantly reduce costs for low-income individuals to approximately $200 an arch or $225 per crown. By collaborating with these clinics, HELP anticipates saving patients more than $200,000 by year-end. It also saves the partner clinics money since they don’t have to purchase a scanner or printer at each one of their facilities, which would cost more than $60,000 per clinic. This ensures that the printer at HELP is used to its full capacity (instead of being used once or twice a day) and uses centralized staff, avoiding duplication of effort.

Thank you for helping to create more smiles and healthier people across Virginia.

Foundation in Action

Delta Dental of Virginia team members helping build beds for children with the Roanoke Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

Our team has been on the move, spreading smiles through volunteer work in our local communities! In April, we partnered with the Roanoke Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace to construct beds for 20 children, providing them with a cozy and safe place to rest. Then, kicking off May with compassion, our Sales team journeyed to Charlottesville to join forces with Roc Solid Foundation in building a playset for Aubree, a courageous three-year-old battling Neuroblastoma. Roc Solid’s mission of building hope for kids fighting cancer resonates deeply with us. Wrapping up the month, we lent our hands to Habitat for Humanity, contributing to the construction of a home for the Ingram family. Our team is truly dedicated to making a meaningful difference in the lives of others!

Delta Dental of Virginia team members helping Habitat for Humanity build a home for a family in our community.

Delta Dental of Virginia team members joining forces with the Roc Solid Foundation and building a child's playset.