LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (January 10, 2018) – Twenty local nonprofit and community organizations will start the year with a smile thanks in part to grant funding from the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation. Through its Community Grants program, the Foundation will award over a half million dollars to support programs and services across the state that are working to improve the oral health of nearly 70,000 Arkansans.

After a thorough board-reviewed application process, grantees were selected based on a number of criteria, including the number of at-risk children or adults served by the program, the level of community engagement in providing oral health prevention and treatment, and the ability to measure success and long-term results.

“During this grant cycle, we received a record number of applications. From this, we can see that more organizations are understanding the connection between oral health and the overall wellness of individuals,” said Weldon Johnson, executive director of the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation. “We look forward to partnering with our 2018 grantees as they work to make a positive impact in improving the oral health of Arkansans.”

A few of the 2018 Community Grantees include:

• $30,000 to Baptist Health to provide oral health treatments in the Baptist Health Heart Institute.
• $30,000 to Healthy Active Arkansas to fund water bottle filling stations in Arkansas schools.
• $50,000 to provide oral health education and preventative services to elementary students at local elementary schools across the state.
• $30,000 to Special Olympics of Arkansas to support 2018 Special Olympics Healthy Smiles Clinic, which offers free dental care for Special Olympics athletes and others individuals with intellectual disabilities.
• $30,000 to the University of Arkansas School for Medical Sciences Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging to develop and provide an evidence-based oral health education program for older adults and their caregivers.
• For a complete list of grantees or more information about the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation Community Grants, visit the Community Grants Page. Applications for grant funding for 2019 will be available in July.

About the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation

The Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation is committed to fulfilling Delta Dental’s mission to improve the oral health of Arkansans. Since 2015, the Foundation has contributed an average of $3 million dollars annually to support oral health programs and initiatives. By investing in education, prevention and treatment, we are working to make Arkansas healthier, one smile at a time.

For more oral health news and information, visit www.DeltaDentalAR.com and follow us on Twitter,

Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram at @DeltaDentalAR.

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