Delta Dental is elevating oral health as a critical component of whole-person care to build healthier communities nationwide. As the nation's largest oral health philanthropist, we have invested $2.4 billion over the past 16 years to expand access, improve outcomes, and deliver lasting impact.
With our national reach and deep community connections, we are converting opportunities into action. In 2025, Delta Dental's investments supported children's first dental visits and strengthened care for veterans, older adults and seniors, and individuals with disabilities nationwide.
We champion school-based oral health education, screenings, and preventive services to help children build healthy habits and access care early.
We improve access for older adults and seniors through mobile care, care coordination, and community-based programs.
We strengthen pathways to inclusive care through specialized clinics, provider training, and tailored programs.
We support comprehensive care for medically vulnerable veterans through collaboration with medical clinics and community organizations.
Workforce shortages remain a significant barrier to accessing oral health care in many communities, limiting timely, preventive oral health services and contributing to poorer health outcomes.
Delta Dental is helping to address this gap through sustained investments in workforce development, building a stronger, more resilient oral health care system that improves access today while preparing for the needs of tomorrow.
Medical and dental care often operate in silos, leading to missed opportunities to improve health outcomes.
Delta Dental is advancing dental-medical integration, recognizing that oral health is health.
Delta Dental companies and their foundations are investing in oral and overall health across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
In 2025, Delta Dental's community impact work reached more than 24 million people nationwide, expanding access to oral health care and improving health outcomes for populations that often face the greatest barriers to care—including children and adolescents, older adults and seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities—while strengthening the future oral health workforce and advancing dental-medical integration.
$131.1million
Direct oral care
Oral health education and workforce
Additional community support and engagement
Community health and wellness
Dental-medical integration
Research and Innovation
Disaster relief
Direct vision care
"Investing in healthier communities is a key part of how Delta Dental brings its mission to life. In 2025, we invested more than $131 million to expand access to care, strengthen the oral health workforce, and advance more connected, whole-person models of care.
Across the country, these efforts are helping to reshape care delivery, bringing services into communities, integrating dental and medical care, and creating new pathways to the profession. Together with our partners, we're building a more accessible, effective system of care that reaches people at every stage of life."
Note: The data in this report is gathered from an annual survey of all Delta Dental companies and their foundations and covers the time period 1/1/2025 to 12/31/2025. Dollar amounts correspond to funds disbursed and include employee matching grants. Lives impacted is defined as individuals in attendance at an activity/event and receiving educational information, or who benefit from the program in the form of direct care or assistance.
Oral health is an essential part of overall health, yet dental and medical care often operate separately. This disconnect can limit opportunities for prevention, early detection, and coordinated care.
Nearly 1 in 4 adults have untreated tooth decay, a preventable condition that can signal broader health risks. At the same time, 27 million Americans visit a dentist each year but do not see a physician, representing a critical opportunity to engage patients and identify broader health needs.
Delta Dental is bridging this gap by advancing dental-medical integration and more connected, whole-person models of care. By embedding dental professionals in medical settings and expanding preventive services in primary care, these efforts turn routine visits into opportunities for screening, early intervention, and improved health outcomes.
In 2025, Delta Dental companies and their foundations invested millions to advance this work, reaching more than 361,000 people through better coordinated dental and medical care. These efforts are helping turn routine dental visits into opportunities for screening, early intervention, and whole-person care.
See how Delta Dental's investments are improving coordinated care for people nationwide.
More than 24 million Americans live in Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (DHPSAs), and nearly 1.7 million lack a nearby clinic. These gaps are expected to widen as more providers retire, with more than 2 in 5 dentists over age 55 in some states. Workforce shortages limit access to oral health care, especially in rural and underserved communities, contributing to worse health outcomes.
Delta Dental companies and their foundations continue to make workforce development a strategic priority, investing in education, training, and career pathways to strengthen both the clinical and non-clinical workforce.
In 2023, Delta Dental launched the Future Workforce Fund to inspire school-aged children to explore careers in oral health. Since then, we have invested more than $2.7 million in workforce organizations and programs, reaching more than 71,000 students, educators, and community members across 40+ states. Our 2025 paper, The Pathway Effect, highlights early learnings from this work and reinforces that early exposure, sustained funding, and cross-sector collaboration are critical to building a stronger oral health workforce for tomorrow.
See how Delta Dental's efforts are helping to build a more resilient oral health workforce.
Access to quality oral health care is an important part of overall health. Nearly half of older adults did not visit a dentist in the past year, and care remains fragmented, with 2 in 3 older adults having never discussed their oral health with a primary care provider despite its link to chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and dementia.
Delta Dental is dedicated to expanding access and improving care coordination for older adults and seniors. In 2025, Delta Dental companies and their foundations supported nearly 90 initiatives, reaching more than 73,000 older adults and seniors through mobile clinics and community-based programs tailored to their needs.
"I am a survivor of neck cancer. Before I could go through my treatments, I had to have all of my teeth removed. After that happened, my self-esteem plummeted. Thanks to the HNC Living Foundation and Delta Dental of Kansas, I was able to get dentures! Since I've gotten them, I feel so much more confident about myself."
Tooth decay remains the most common chronic disease among young people, affecting nearly half of U.S. children and adolescents ages ages 2-19, and contributes to pain, missed school, and long-term health challenges.
Delta Dental is bringing care to children where they live and learn. In 2025, Delta Dental companies and their foundations delivered preventive services through 700 programs spanning schools, mobile dental clinics, and community partnerships, reaching more than 10 million children and adolescents nationwide.
These efforts help children build healthy habits early, feel more comfortable during treatment, and access the support and services they need.
"Timely access to preventive and restorative dental care is fundamental to pediatric health, yet it remains out of reach for many families in underserved communities. The Molar Express strengthens the healthcare safety net by providing mobile, community-based dental services where they are most needed. Funding support has enabled the program's continuity and clinical stability during periods of uncertainty, and we are deeply grateful for Delta Dental of Rhode Island's investment in children's oral and overall health."
Of the nearly 9 million veterans receiving care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, only about 1 in 4 are eligible for dental benefits, leaving many without access to routine oral care. These gaps can disproportionately affect the health and well-being of veterans who are older, lower-income, or experiencing homelessness.
In 2025, Delta Dental partnered with nonprofits, universities, health centers, and community organizations nationwide to bring oral health care and support services to 36,880 veterans through 68 initiatives. These efforts delivered over $1.3 million in dental treatment and preventive care, helping veterans get the care they need while supporting their broader health.
See how Delta Dental is elevating veteran-centered approaches that connect individuals to care.
"This generous donation from Delta Dental of Massachusetts will help the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine Cares for Veterans reach our mission of connecting veterans in need of oral health care to a provider of dental services to veterans at minimal to no cost."
At least 10 million people in the United States have an intellectual or developmental disability that can hinder their access to health care. In many communities, gaps in provider training, wait times, and access to specialized services can slow treatment and create challenges in addressing dental needs promptly.
Delta Dental is investing in inclusive, patient-centered care initiatives that help ensure every individual can achieve better oral health. In 2025, Delta Dental companies and their foundations invested $2.2 million of a $3.4 million total investment in dental treatment and preventive services, supported specialized clinics centered on comfort and dignity, and expanded training initiatives that equipped more than 2,000 providers to deliver inclusive care. Together, these efforts are strengthening the oral health workforce and advancing equitable care for individuals with disabilities nationwide.
Learn how Delta Dental is advancing inclusive oral health care for individuals with disabilities.
"Delta Dental of Wisconsin's commitment to the Special Olympics Wisconsin Special Smiles® program has allowed us to deliver critical oral health screenings, education, and meaningful follow-up care to individuals who often face significant barriers in accessing dental services. Thanks to Delta Dental's generosity, our athletes are not only receiving essential care but are also gaining the knowledge and tools they need to maintain lifelong oral health."
