Delta Dental has committed nearly $3 million over three years to five organizations developing pathways into oral health careers. The funding will help the recipients expand career exploration, mentorship, and hands-on learning programs aimed at preparing young people for jobs in dentistry and dental hygiene.
Five organizations receive three-year grants
Announced on October 21, 2026, the awards under the Delta Dental Future Workforce Fund will support programs designed to introduce students to oral health professions and help them navigate the educational pathways needed to enter the workforce.
The five recipients are the American Dental Education Association, American Dental Hygienists’ Association, Hispanic Dental Association, Mentorships in Dentistry Inc. and Planet Smilez Inc.
Their programs cover early career exposure, dental hygiene recruitment, pre-dental mentorship and community-based training. Several initiatives specifically target students from underserved and underrepresented communities.
The American Dental Education Association will use its Bridging Pathways to Oral Health Careers Program to provide hands-on learning and career exploration. The Hispanic Dental Association will expand its Building Our Leaders in Dentistry program, which combines mentorship and practical learning for students interested in dentistry.
Other recipients will focus on recruiting future dental hygienists, connecting students with dental professionals and introducing high school students to clinical simulations and educational opportunities.
The three-year grants will allow recipients to expand their programs, evaluate results and develop approaches that can be sustained and replicated across communities.
“Through this three-year funding commitment, we will help proven organizations deepen their impact, strengthen evaluation, and share approaches that can be replicated across communities,” said James W. Hutchison, president and CEO of Delta Dental Plans Association.
Delta Dental has committed more than $5.6 million to the Future Workforce Fund since 2023. The latest awards build on the fund’s focus on strengthening the pipeline of future oral health professionals through sustained investment and collaboration.
The initiative also draws on Delta Dental’s report, The Pathway Effect: A Guide to Strengthening the Oral Health Workforce Through Early Exposure Programs. The report identifies multi-year funding, strong partnerships, robust evaluation and early career exposure as important elements in building sustainable workforce programs.
Delta Dental expands investment in community health
Delta Dental Plans Association is the national association of 39 independent Delta Dental companies. Based in Chicago, the not-for-profit association represents the country’s largest dental benefits provider, with a network of approximately 151,000 participating dentists.
The association said Delta Dental companies and their foundations have invested more than $2.4 billion over the past 16 years to improve oral and overall health in their communities.
The latest funding commitment adds to those efforts by supporting organizations that aim to expand access to oral health careers and strengthen the future dental workforce.
Back in April, A-dec committed $1 million to Dental Trade Alliance, establishing a permanent scholarship fund to deepen the talent pool.