Delta Dental of Missouri commits $500,000 to expand dental workforce and access to care

Delta Dental of Missouri

ST. LOUIS — Delta Dental of Missouri — a non-profit organization and the state’s leading dental benefits provider and oral health philanthropist — is committing an additional $500,000 in grant funds through its 2025 Workforce Development Initiative, which helps prepare high schoolers, college students and working-age adults for career paths in dental health professions.

The company launched its initial Workforce Development Initiative in 2023, providing $500,000 to seven organizations. It continues to address the dental workforce shortage in 2025, with grants to expand this workforce and access to vital dental care through strategic partnerships across Missouri and in South Carolina, where it also does business.

Delta Dental of Missouri will collaborate with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services — Office of Dental Health to award 2025 funding and identify organizations in Missouri, which are working to address the dental workforce shortage. 

The funds will play a critical role in continued development of innovative programs to support students pursuing dental health professions, such as dentists, hygienists and dental assistants, and will expand access to care for underrepresented children and adults, including those who live in rural communities in both states. The $500,000 committed for 2025 includes $375,000 for organizations in Missouri.

“We’re thrilled by the accomplishments of organizations and students who benefited from our Workforce Development grants in 2023,” said Rob Goren, president and chief executive officer at Delta Dental of Missouri. “Their work is crucial in growing the dental workforce and advancing access to critical care, especially for those in need. In 2025, we’re continuing our investment and partnering with fellow oral health leaders to inspire students to pursue a dental care profession. Investing in this workforce helps change the lives of the students and the thousands of patients they can treat throughout their careers.”

Local organizations that received funding from Delta Dental of Missouri in 2023 are making a positive impact on the dental workforce:

• Missouri Area Health Education Centers in Kirksville received $40,000 for oral health science activities in its summer programming (grades 6-12) and to develop scholarship programs and mentorship opportunities. Funding provided resources for dental assisting students at Area Health Education Centers in Northwest, West Central, Northeast, Southeast and Southwest Missouri. Three student graduates are now employed as dental assistants. The centers hosted dental career workshops for 75 rural high school students, providing shadowing opportunities and scholarships to access the Dental Admission Test (DAT) Prep program.