PARSIPPANY, NJ – The Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of New Jersey (DDNJ), announced that Virtua Health will receive $25,000 in grant funding to provide dental care and education to uninsured and underinsured populations in Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties.

Virtua Health will use the funding to support its Pediatric Mobile Services program, which will provide fluoride varnish, SMILE bags for children, cover dental supplies, and travel vouchers for 1,950 patients needing dental care in the three counties. This program will also educate physician residents on the importance of connecting children to a dental home as part of a child’s overall care.

“Virtua’s Oral Health and Nutrition initiative seeks to increase health equity and address social determinants of health for children ages 0-6 in at-risk areas of southern New Jersey by connecting them to pediatric oral health prevention,” said Debra Moran, senior vice president of health equity and community programs at Virtua Health. “This project can decrease obesity, oral health emergencies, and other associated health conditions while increasing clinical linkages to care.”

The more than $808,000 in grant funding will reach nearly all 21 of New Jersey’s counties through a range of mini or major SMILE grants that will help renew or start programs addressing the dental workforce pipeline and maintaining the dental health of seniors, developmentally disabled adults and children, disadvantaged children, and veterans.

“For more than 37 years, a major focus of the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation has been and continues to be helping improve the oral health of New Jersey residents,” said Dennis G. Wilson, president and CEO of Delta Dental of New Jersey and vice president of the Delta Dental Foundation. “You can’t put a price on a healthy smile. These projects renew our oral care commitment to our communities and address the challenges they face head on.”

This year, the DDNJ Foundation is funding a special series of grants dedicated to establishing or expanding dental assisting programs and school-to-career programs for high school students in memory of Dr. Gene F. Napoliello, who served as the Foundation’s longtime Chairman.

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About Delta Dental

Delta Dental of New Jersey, Inc. is New Jersey's leading dental benefits company, providing or administering coverage to more than 1.9 million people through contracts with groups and individuals in New Jersey and Connecticut. In Connecticut, Delta Dental of Connecticut, Inc. is a licensed insurer that writes dental and vision coverage on an insured basis, and Delta Dental of New Jersey administers self-funded dental benefit programs.

Offering dental benefits since 1969, Delta Dental of New Jersey's mission is to promote oral health to the greatest number of people by providing accessible dental benefit programs of the highest quality, service, and value. We are a not-for-profit service corporation and, as a member of Delta Dental Plans Association, we're part of a network that provides national dental coverage to more than 85 million people. For more information, visit DeltaDentalNJ.com.