Empowering the Future: The Oral Health Diversity Fund Fuels Expansion of Diversify Dentistry Youth Summit™

We are thrilled to announce that we have been selected as a recipient of the Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund! With this generous grant, we’ll be able to expand our youth summits, empowering even more underrepresented young people with the inspiration and guidance to pursue careers in dentistry. We are deeply grateful for this opportunity to make an even greater impact on the future of oral health. For more details, please read our full press release below.

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Delta Dental Awards $160,000 to Diversity in Dentistry Mentorships to Expand its Work to Drive Greater Diversity in the Oral Health Workforce

DIDM’s Diversify Dentistry Youth Summit™ Toolkit will help dental schools inspire underrepresented youth to consider a career in dentistry

OCTOBER 10, 2024 – Tucson, AZ– Today, the Delta Dental Institute announced its second class of Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund awardees. Among the awardees, Diversity in Dentistry Mentorships (DIDM) received $160,000 to expand its Diversify Dentistry Youth Summit™ toolkit.

DIDM’s Diversify Dentistry Youth Summit™ offers middle and high school students from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds hands-on experiences, educational insights, and mentorship to inspire them to consider a career in dentistry. The Diversify Dentistry Youth Summit™ toolkit will be expanded to serve as a guide for dental schools to host similar events.

“Our commitment has always been clear — to strengthen and lengthen the pathway from middle school to dental school to ensure that the oral health profession is inclusive for everyone, especially for those from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds,” said Dr. Laila Hishaw, Founder and President of Diversity in Dentistry Mentorships, Inc. “Thanks to the Oral Health Diversity Fund, we’re advancing this mission through mentorship. Our partnerships with dental schools offer greater exposure to the field, where our youth can spend the day with dental student mentors, gaining hands-on experience and inspiration to pursue careers in oral health. With our Toolkit, schools can engage their communities and host similar events, broadening pathways into the profession.”

As part of their Driving Greater Diversity in the Oral Health Workforce campaign, in 2024, Delta Dental has awarded over $980,000 to fund innovative programs that inspire school-aged children from historically underrepresented groups to pursue careers in oral health.

“Delta Dental is committed to supporting the next generation of diverse oral health professionals. We are proud to announce our second class of Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund awardees. These programs provide school-aged children from underrepresented communities with access to mentors and innovative educational opportunities that pave the way toward careers in oral health,” said James W. Hutchison, President & CEO of Delta Dental Plans Association. “It is inspiring to see the interest and excitement these programs are creating. We look forward to continuing to support solutions that advance the oral health workforce.”

Research has shown that racial and ethnic diversity among health professionals is linked to better patient satisfaction and improved health outcomes. However, the current oral health workforce does not reflect that diversity; fewer than 10% of dentists are Black, Hispanic, or American Indian/Alaska Native, while those same groups are far more likely to practice in underserved communities.

Other awardees of the 2024 Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund include:

• American Dental Education Association, whose Pathways to Smiles program creates an immersive training program for underrepresented high-school students to experience what it’s like to be an oral health professional. The curriculum will reach underserved communities and regions where access to oral health education and resources may be limited.

• NAF, whose Promoting Oral Health Pathways program within their Academy of Life Sciences curriculum, introduces oral health as an exciting, viable career path for school-aged children. Through NAF’s new, 100% free online platform, students will work with experts in the field to build their oral health skills and awareness of career opportunities.

• National Dental Association, whose S.M.I.L.E. (Student Mentoring with Immersive Learning and Enrichment) Healthcare Pathway Program connects a diverse group of high school students with an oral health mentor and provides an immersive week-long camp at historically black colleges and universities to introduce students to careers in oral health.

• Planet Smilez, Inc., whose Discovering Dentistry Symposium aims to inspire students from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue careers in oral health and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

• The Society of American Indian Dentists, whose program, Telling the Story of a Path to Dentistry: Connecting American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Dentists with AI/AN Youth, links AI/AN dentists serving as volunteer oral health ambassadors with Native high school students to tell their story about becoming a dentist and inspire more Native youth to consider a career in dentistry.

The next round of applications for the Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund will open in Spring 2025. To learn more about the Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund and the award recipients, please visit www.deltadentalinstitute.com/fund.

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About Diversity in Dentistry Mentorships, Inc.

Diversity in Dentistry Mentorships, Inc. is a national nonprofit focused on expanding pathways from middle school to dental school for students from historically underrepresented groups to enter the profession. The organization offers hands-on experiences, educational resources, and scholarships to inspire and equip them to pursue dental careers.  By leveraging the power of mentorship, they are nurturing the next generation of dental professionals who will better reflect the communities they serve and advance health equity. For more information, visit diversityindentistry.org.

About the Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund

Delta Dental has established the first national Oral Health Diversity Fund. This industry-leading fund makes targeted investments in comprehensive solutions, innovative pilots, and scalable models that inspire school-aged children from historically underrepresented groups to pursue a career in oral health. Visit www.deltadentalinstitute.com/fund to learn more.

About the Delta Dental Institute

The Delta Dental Institute is dedicated to advancing oral health for all Americans in partnership with Delta Dental companies and dedicated partners across the country. With expertise rooted in Delta Dental’s rich history of oral health leadership, we engage in and support oral health research, community outreach, and advocacy, striving to ensure that everyone understands the importance of oral health to overall health and has access to the care they need. Visit deltadentalinstitute.com for more information.

About Delta Dental Plans Association

Based in Chicago, Illinois, Delta Dental Plans Association is the not-for-profit national association of the 39 independent Delta Dental companies. Through these companies, Delta Dental is the nation’s largest dental benefits provider, and offers the country’s largest dental network with approximately 152,000 participating dentists. Over the last decade, Delta Dental companies and their foundations invested nearly $2 billion to improve the oral and overall health of our communities.