Communities help us understand the challenge of accessing, understanding and valuing the importance of good oral health care. With our healthcare structure divided between medical and dental care, patients are challenged to get their needs met. Unfortunately, dental benefits are not a given for most people.
In the last legislative session, Colorado made a smart move to ensure pregnant women covered by CHP+ can access dental care, expanding critical access to over 900 Coloradans and helping bring together medical and dental coverage. This is important because the CDC notes:
- Nearly 60 to 75% of pregnant women have gingivitis, an early stage of periodontal disease.
- Children of mothers who have high levels of untreated cavities or tooth loss are more than 3 times more likely to have cavities as a child.
Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation has shifted from being a telling foundation to a learning foundation. As we better understand how to help advance oral health equity through access, prevention and the connection to overall health we share our knowledge with the company, Delta Dental of Colorado.
Just as we prioritize our partnerships with community organizations, we value our partnership with our funder to ensure the oral health of all Coloradans is met. DDCOF and DDCO are working together to consider how we advance policy to improve the health of our neighbors. The foundation is leading companywide efforts to foster conversations about equity and understanding our individual and collective privilege. Part of this journey is furthering our commitment to not only funding, but engaging with our communities through volunteerism.
While DDCOF has come a long way these past few years, we have so much more to learn. Our foundation will continue to listen to communities and further partnership with our funder, Delta Dental of Colorado, to improve the well-being of all Coloradans. We’ll continue to share what we learn with DDCO, across our partners during our grantee learning circles, and as we engage in policy.
Click to learn more about Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation.