Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund

Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund

Funder: Delta Dental Institute (national program)

Status: Active; next round applications opened Spring 2024

Geographic Scope: National (multi-state)

Focus Areas:

Inspiring school-aged children from historically underrepresented groups to explore careers in oral health

Comprehensive solutions and innovative pilots addressing oral health workforce diversity

Scalable models that increase diversity in the dental profession

Programs serving:

- Racial and ethnic minorities
- American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities
- Historically marginalized populations

Problem Addressed:

Fewer than 10% of dentists are Black or Hispanic, while these groups comprise more than 30% of the U.S. population

Less than 10 oral health programs in the U.S. provide specialized patient care and clinical training

Lack of diversity among health professionals linked to decreased patient satisfaction and worse health outcomes

Inaugural Awardees (2023):
1. Diversity in Dentistry Mentorships - Diversify Dentistry Youth Summit™ (high school students, hands-on experiences, mentorship)
2. Hispanic Dental Association - BOLD: Building Our Leaders in Dentistry (pre-dental mentorship, outreach to K-12 and undergraduate students)
3. NAF - Promoting Oral Pathways (academy curriculum, project-based learning, work-based learning)
4. Society of American Indian Dentists - Telling the Story of a Path to Dentistry (AI/AN dentist role models, community presentations)

Contact: www.deltadentalinstitute.com/fund

Related Website: www.deltadentalinstitute.com