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Delta Dental Foundation Contributes to the Ohio State University College of Dentistry

$5,000 grant will assist in implementation of oral health care program

OKEMOS, Mich., (June 18, 2007) – The Delta Dental Foundation (DDF), the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, recently donated $5,000 to the Columbus, Ohio-based Ohio State University (OSU) College of Dentistry. Nancy Hostetler, senior vice president of the Delta Dental Foundation, made the announcement.

The grant will help establish a comprehensive oral health care program between the OSU College of Dentistry classes of 2009 and 2010 and Deshler Elementary School, a low-income, underserved inner city school in the Columbus Public School System. The program, titled Deshler Dental Scholars, will begin this year.

The DDF donation will be used for dental supplies, educational materials, transportation for students for an enrichment trip to the Ohio State University College of Dentistry, travel expenses for students that need treatment at the OSU Dental Pediatric Dentistry Clinic or Children’s Hospital and a student/mentor luncheon at the conclusion of the school year.

“We are proud that our donation to the OSU College of Dentistry will help create a program for children needing dental care at Deshler Elementary School,” said Hostetler. “Given the strong connection between oral health and overall health, our investment in the Deshler Dental Scholars program will enhance the health and well-being of these children.”

According to Dr. Michael Rowland, assistant professor, section of primary care and director of diversity at the OSU College of Dentistry, oral health care is one of the greatest unmet health needs in the Columbus area.

“Thanks to this generous grant from the Delta Dental Foundation, we can now provide oral health care and oral health education to the student body of Deshler Elementary School, largely composed of students in need of these services,” said Rowland.

For more information about the OSU College of Dentistry or the Deshler Dental Scholars program, call 614-247-8621.

The Delta Dental Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization established in 1980 by Delta Dental of Michigan, which also operates Delta Dental of Ohio and Delta Dental of Indiana. The Foundation’s goals are to support education and research for the advancement of dental science and to promote the oral health of the public through education and service activities, particularly for those with special needs. For more information, visit www.deltadentaloh.com/ddf/index.htm.