Delta gives Minnesota Dental Foundation $78K

Delta Dental of Minnesota awarded a $78,000 grant to the Minnesota Dental Foundation in support of the Minnesota Donated Dental Services (DDS) program.

The grant will cover ongoing operating expenses in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012, and will generate $960,000 in free, comprehensive dental care to 260 vulnerable Minnesotans, Delta Dental noted in a press release.

Established in 2003 by Dental Lifeline Network-Minnesota in partnership with the Minnesota Dental Association, the DDS program provides access to comprehensive pro bono dental care for Minnesotans who have disabilities or who are elderly or medically at risk and unable to afford care for serious dental conditions.

Previously, funds to coordinate the program had been provided by the state of Minnesota; however, in 2011 that funding was cut. Without additional funding from outside organizations, the program's ability to serve these vulnerable populations would have been seriously jeopardized.