At Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation, we remain committed to our mission of advancing oral health equity for all Coloradans. This work is as important as ever as new data highlights how COVID-19 has significantly reduced access to and utilization of oral health care, damaging the oral health care infrastructure and workforce. This year, we […]
Category: Foundation

A New Chapter for the Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation
- Adeeb Khan
- July 13, 2021
- Our Mission, Blog, Investment, Dental Health, Foundation
At Delta Dental of Colorado, commitment to community is in our DNA. We prioritize doing the right thing and finding ways to make our communities thrive. Our work brings together the philanthropy of the Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation and the corporate social responsibility practice of Delta Dental of Colorado. Since March of 2020, much […]

Oral Health Policy and Innovation Shine in a Year of Darkness
- Megan Wilson
- April 15, 2021
- Our Mission, Blog, Dental Health, Foundation
In so many ways, the past year was filled with darkness, and public health dentistry was in the center of this darkness. With the exception of emergency care, dental fully shut down for a long period of time, followed by a very slow return to providing dental care. Dental offices were shuttered, staff furloughed, and patients […]

Working Together to Eliminate Food Insecurity
- Adeeb Khan
- March 18, 2021
- Blog, Dental Health, Foundation
According to Hunger Free Colorado, one in three Coloradans struggle with hunger — a sobering statistic considering the vast amount of wealth in our country. And the pandemic has only exacerbated the issue of food insecurity. In conversations with local food pantries throughout the past year, I repeatedly heard stories about the increased demand for […]

Advancing children’s oral health through innovation
- Delta Dental Foundation
- February 22, 2021
- Blog, Dental Health, Foundation
“A crown? But she’s not even five,” I responded to the dentist in disbelief as I sheepishly wrapped my arms around my daughter. We brush morning and night with fluoridated toothpaste, have regular, preventive dental appointments, and she had four fluoride varnish applications before the age of 3. I work for Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation (DDCOF) and […]

A Smile is the Same in Every Language
- Delta Dental Foundation
- January 25, 2021
- Blog, Dental Health, Foundation
Starting a new job during a global pandemic was strange to say the least. I joined the team at Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation last year and hit the ground running. This is an amazing team, and I’m proud of the way we were able to support our communities most affected by COVID-19 through the 2020 […]

It’s OK to Ask for Help: Financial Resources for Your Family in Colorado
- Mirella Chavez
- December 15, 2020
- Blog, Dental Health, Foundation
I’m incredibly passionate about health care equity, having been raised in and around disenfranchised communities for the better part of my life. I’m the seventh of eight kids in a family of mixed-status. My first language is Spanish, and the color of my skin is canela, cinnamon. As a teen mom, I tried to not be […]

Connecting the Coloradans Most Impacted by COVID-19 to Resources
- Veronica Contreras de Raya
- October 22, 2020
- Blog, Foundation
When COVID-19 first swept across the nation, dental offices were closed except for emergency services. As the only dedicated oral health funder in Colorado, Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation (DDCOF) critically evaluated their role and how to best serve Colorado amid the present reality. Traditionally, DDCOF has partnered with communities to reimagine how they can access, […]

A window into health disparities
- Delta Dental Foundation
- September 8, 2020
- Blog, Dental Health, Foundation
As a child, my parents ensured I went to the dentist twice a year. I was lucky enough to have braces (only one round) and all of my professional employment opportunities as an adult have provided access to dental insurance. I take my oral health seriously and I know it’s a privilege to have that […]

Why we Need More Oral Health Providers of Color
- Veronica Contreras de Raya
- July 31, 2020
- Blog, Dental Health, Foundation
For generations, people of color have faced barriers in accessing health and oral health care within the U.S. As recently as the 1960’s, segregated health care facilities provided sub-par care and environments for minority patients and denied physician privileges to minority doctors. To this day, neighborhood segregation is linked to poor health outcomes, lower quality of care, […]