A note from the Executive Director

Health equity is at the heart of everything we do. It is with great pride that we share several stories of how our research and advocacy are driving toward greater equity. In particular, our research is advancing action through the inaugural oral health equity research awards and the launching of the Driving Greater Diversity in the Oral Health Workforce campaign. We know that the best ideas and solutions come from the communities we serve and we salute our partners who help ensure access to care for all.



First recipients of the Delta Dental Institute AADOCR Oral Health Equity Research Award announced

DDI and the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) are proud to name Astha Singhal, PhD, Boston University Assistant Professor of Health Policy & Health Services Research, the team of Cameron Randall, PhD, University of Washington Assistant Professor, Oral Health Sciences, and Tamanna Tiwari, BDS, MDS, MPH, University of Colorado Assistant Professor of Community Dentistry & Population Health, as the inaugural recipients of the Delta Dental Institute AADOCR Oral Health Equity Research Award.

The Oral Health Equity Research Award supports research awards in the two areas of advancing recommendations for greater oral health equity in populations that lack access to dental care and improving oral health literacy for underserved populations.

• Access & Equity Award – Dr. Singhal will conduct research centered on Medicaid adult dental benefits and racial/ethnic disparities in access to dental care among low-income women during pregnancy and postpartum periods.
•  Oral Health Literacy Award – Drs. Randall and Tiwari will jointly pursue research identifying the relationships between acculturation, oral health literacy, and health behaviors in Hispanic parents.

New research from Harvard School of Dental Medicine finds oral health workforce expansion improves health outcomes in underserved communities

In March, new research from Harvard School of Dental Medicine, sponsored by the Delta Dental Institute, and published in JAMA Health Forum, finds that expanding the dental workforce in Oral Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) through the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) would reduce the risk of dental caries among children in underserved areas, improve care, and cut costs.

Lead researcher Dr. Sung En Choi, SM, PhD, studied the cost-effectiveness of expanding the dental workforce in underserved areas through the NHSC to evaluate the potential impact of having more dental practitioners providing care in those communities.

“Our analysis suggests that expanding the dental workforce through the NHSC would reduce the burden of dental caries among children in underserved areas and address disparities in the social and economic determinants of oral health,” said author Dr. Choi, instructor in Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

This research is a part of the Delta Dental Institute’s previously announced oral health research awards focused on creating more equitable access to care and reducing health disparities. Learn more about the research awards here. 

Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation’s H20 On the Go program provided water bottle-filling stations, reusable bottles, and toothbrushes for students at Illinois schools. In addition to supporting overall health and well-being by encouraging students to choose water, the program promotes sustainability and helps eliminate germ exposure. To date, 206 schools have received new water bottle-filling stations, impacting nearly 90,000 Illinois students.

Delta Dental of Massachusetts supported young men and women of color preparing to enter the oral health field by funding scholarships for students in the health sciences program at Roxbury Community College and students in the dental hygiene programs at Quinsigamond Community College and Springfield Technical Community College — a designated Hispanic Serving Institution. Each school works to close achievement gaps for students from communities that often face barriers to entry, enabling opportunities to find success.

Delta Dental of Tennessee and its Smile180 Foundation support the Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry — a historically black college — through an endowed scholarship fund and funding for facilities and equipment. Together, they partner for community outreach and most recently sponsored a children’s community dental day with the Nashville Sounds and Neighborhood Health — a federally qualified health center —where students and faculty from Meharry helped perform dental screenings for the young attendees.

New research from Harvard School of Dental Medicine finds that expanding the oral health care workforce in underserved communities improves the oral health of children by reducing the burden of cavities.

Expanding National Health Service Corp program funding for dentists and dental students by 5-30% resulted in:

• A decrease in decayed teeth cases by 350,000 to 2.1 million cases; and
• A total cost savings of $105.3 to $634.07 million.

Source: JAMA Health Forum, 2023

• $2.25M endowment establishes JABSOM’s inaugural oral health director
• Op-ed: Invest in a diverse WA dental workforce to improve oral health equity
• Smile180 Foundation and Tennessee PBS KIDS Stations Launch “Have a Healthy Smile” Campaign
• Tooth Fairy giving continues record pace

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