$10,000 Gift to Provide Low-Income Disabled & Elderly In Oklahoma With Vital Dental Care

Delta Dental Plan of Oklahoma Charitable Foundation  Helping Those Less Fortunate

OKLAHOMA CITY, Dec. 13, 2000 -- Thousands of low-income mentally and physically handicapped and elderly persons throughout Oklahoma are in dire need of comprehensive dental care. Yet, without the non-profit organization D-DENT (Dentists for the Disabled and Elderly in Need of Treatment) many of those needs would not be met. And now, thanks to a $10,000 donation from the Delta Dental Plan of Oklahoma Charitable Foundation, countless developmentally disabled and elderly Oklahomans will be smiling brighter this holiday season.

Most people enduring developmental disabilities must rely on government entitlement programs for health care because they do not have employment- related income. The mission of D-DENT is the provision of free comprehensive dental care to those Oklahomans in financial need. D-DENT is the only group in the state that provides this free comprehensive care.

``In Oklahoma, Medicaid limits dental benefits to emergency extractions only for the medically-indigent over 20 years of age. Medicare, which assists the elderly, does not cover dental treatment at all,'' said John Gladden, President/CEO of the Delta Dental Plan of Oklahoma. ``The volunteer dentists of D-DENT are making an incredible difference in these people's lives and we remain committed to supporting their efforts and working to assure that all Oklahomans have access to quality dental health care.''

D-DENT screens applicants from their waiting list and places them with a Dentist closest to their residential location. The Dentists donate their services and D-DENT is financially responsible for any laboratory work including: crowns, bridges, partials and dentures that is submitted to a participating dental lab.

``We have so many eligible clients across the state, some must wait up to two years to receive D-DENT services,'' said Shirley Harris, Director of D-DENT. ``Our funding from the State of Oklahoma was reduced by $25,000.00 for Fiscal Year 1998-99 and without the generous donations like the one made by Delta Dental Plan of Oklahoma Charitable Foundation, we could not begin to achieve our goal to provide dental services to those who need them so desperately.

The agency has offices in both OKC and Tulsa and refers non-qualifying calls to other local clinics for free extractions or low-cost dental care. Since the Program was implemented in December of 1987, more than 400 volunteer Dentists statewide have treated in excess of 5,050 patients, donating dental services valued at nearly $2.2 million. Further, over 35 dental laboratories across the State have contributed over $38,773 in dental lab services to support the D-DENT program.

D-DENT also began a new program in 1999 to provide oral health instruction and emphasize daily dental care to the clients and caregivers of eldercare, living centers and shelters. This ``preventive education'' program provides oral-care kits and denture-care kits for the clients. The program is designed to compliment D-DENT's comprehensive dental services by working to prevent decay and extend the life of prosthetics.

Supported by the OKC, Tulsa and Claremore United Ways, the D-DENT Program was developed in conjunction with the Oklahoma Dental Association, the Community Council of Central Oklahoma, the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry, Variety Health Center and several social service agencies serving the developmentally disabled and the elderly. The D-DENT Agency is a 501©(3) non-profit organization. To make a donation or more information about D-DENT, please call Shirley Harris in Oklahoma City @ 1-800-525-9510 or Pam Beard in Tulsa @ 1-800-722-9510.

Delta Dental Plan of Oklahoma is a specialized provider of quality dental benefit programs and responsive services to a growing number of subscribers and client companies across the state. The national Delta Dental system is the largest, most experienced provider of dental programs offering coverage to more than 27 million Americans with the support of more than 106,000 participating dental offices.

As the state's leading and largest provider of group dental benefit programs, Delta Dental Plan of Oklahoma recognizes the importance, and is committed to promoting, early dental care education. The Delta Dental Plan of Oklahoma Charitable Foundation, Inc. sponsors several annual programs, including the Captain Supertooth Program, an oral hygiene education program designed for the benefit of first and second grade students across the state of Oklahoma. The Captain Supertooth Program consists of professionally- trained actors with costumes and props traveling the state to deliver 20- minute education programs in a fun and entertaining format. For more information about the Captain Supertooth Program, please call their hotline @ 405-810-8007