Delta Dental Contributes $60,000 as Seed Funding for New NFDH Program.

Program Will Bring Dental Care to the Physically and Mentally Handicapped in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Thousands of Americans are faced with the reality of no health or dental insurance because of the inability to work. To help some of those individuals within Tennessee, Delta Dental of Tennessee has provided initial funding to the National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped (NFDH) and Donated Dental Services of Tennessee (DDS) to offer free dental services to individuals who are disabled, elderly and/or medically compromised and cannot work because of their condition.

Delta Dental's $60,000 donation to the NFDH will be used as seed money to start the dental care program in Tennessee. While more than 36 states nationwide have similar programs, this is the first of its kind in the state.

"The donation by Delta Dental of Tennessee is being used to start this much needed program and we are grateful for this contribution," said Dr. Larry Coffee, president and CEO, NFDH.

Now in the beginning stages, the NFDH is working with the Tennessee Dental Association to develop an implementation plan. An advisory board will work with NFDH to secure dentists across the state who will volunteer their services. Once the dentists are in place, the group will distribute applications to human service organizations based on geographic availability and participation preferences of volunteers. The agencies will be asked to provide applications to those who are physically and/or mentally handicapped and are in need of major dental work.

"We believe fundamentally that everyone deserves good oral health," said Dr. Phil Wenk, president and CEO, Delta Dental of Tennessee. "We are proud to be able to help the NFDH establish this program in our state so that Tennesseans in need may benefit from a healthy smile."

Delta Dental of Tennessee, headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., currently provides benefits for its more than 750,000 members. The company is a member of the Delta Dental Plans Association (DDPA), the oldest and largest dental benefits provider in the United States. Based in Oak Brook, Ill., DDPA provides dental benefits programs throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam. For more information on Delta Dental, please visit www.DeltaDentalTn.com.