Senior Oral Health Partnership Program

Geographic Scope: 15-state enterprise and Washington, D.C.; expanding to Mississippi Delta region

Focus Areas:

• Address the oral health crisis among older adults in the U.S.
• Serve seniors living in poverty
• Support people of color seniors
• Assist seniors with mobility issues preventing access to oral health care
• Identify and address systemic causes of poor oral health among older adults

Award Information:

• Multi-year program launched in 2022
• Additional $5 million commitment over next five years for Mississippi Delta region partnership (announced May 21, 2025)
• Program focuses on community-based partnerships

Target Population:

• Older adults
• Seniors living in poverty (approximately 1 in 4 seniors living in poverty have lost all natural teeth)
• Seniors of color
• Seniors with mobility issues

Background:
The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation identified that older adults struggle with oral health problems and lack support for proper dental care. The 2021 National Institutes of Health Oral Health in America report documented that oral health challenges among seniors have become a public health crisis. The program was launched in 2022 to address these systemic issues through community-based partnerships.