Delta Dental commits nearly $3 million to strengthen the future oral health workforce

Five organizations selected as 2026 Delta Dental Future Workforce Fund awardees to receive three-year grants to advance scalable, sustainable pathways into oral health careers.

CHICAGO, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Delta Dental announced the five 2026 Delta Dental Future Workforce Fund awardees, with funding committed for the next three years. The nearly $3 million in funding will help these organizations expand, evaluate, and sustain programs that introduce young people to oral health careers and build stronger pathways into the profession. Since 2023, Delta Dental has committed more than $5.6 million to the Future Workforce Fund.

"A strong oral health workforce requires more than promising ideas—it requires sustained investment, collaboration, and a commitment to learning what works," said James W. Hutchison, President & CEO of Delta Dental Plans Association. "Through this three-year funding commitment, we will help proven organizations deepen their impact, strengthen evaluation, and share approaches that can be replicated across communities. Together, we are investing in the next generation of oral health professionals and expanding access to care for years to come."

2026 Delta Dental Future Workforce Fund Awardees

• American Dental Education Association: The Bridging Pathways to Oral Health Careers Program inspires and prepares the next generation of oral health professionals through hands-on learning experiences that expand access to career exploration, highlight the connection between oral and overall health, and equip students from a wide range of communities with the knowledge and resources to pursue educational and career pathways in oral health.
• American Dental Hygienists' Association: Hygienist Inspired is a multi-year initiative that strengthens the dental hygiene workforce through chairside recruitment and community outreach, leveraging dental hygienists' expertise and patient relationships to inspire new career opportunities, expand pathways into the profession, and help build a workforce that reflects the communities it serves.
• Hispanic Dental Association: Building Our Leaders in Dentistry (BOLD) is a pre-dental mentorship and career exploration program that introduces students from underrepresented communities to careers in dentistry through early and sustained exposure, hands-on learning, and mentorship, equipping them with the knowledge, connections, and understanding of educational pathways needed to pursue careers in oral health.
• Mentorships in Dentistry, Inc.: Mentorships in Dentistry (MIND) advances the oral health profession through mentorship and early career exposure, engaging students in hands-on learning and meaningful connections with dental professionals while providing mentorship, resources, and educational opportunities that support their journey from initial career exploration to pursuing a career in dentistry and, ultimately, mentoring the next generation.
• Planet Smilez, Inc.: The Discovering Dentistry Symposium Community Pathways Initiative is a community-based oral health workforce pathway program that engages high school students in underserved communities through hands-on clinical simulation, mentorship, family engagement, and continued career support, helping students build oral health knowledge, explore the roles of dental professionals, and understand the educational pathways and next steps to pursue careers in oral health.

The three-year funding commitment reflects industry best practices as outlined in Delta Dental's white paper, The Pathway Effect: A Guide to Strengthening the Oral Health Workforce Through Early Exposure Programs. Drawing on lessons from the Future Workforce Fund, the report identifies multi-year funding, strong partnerships, robust evaluation, and early career exposure as essential to building scalable, sustainable workforce programs. For more information about the partners and to read the full report, visit deltadental.com.

About Delta Dental Plans Association

Based in Chicago, Illinois, Delta Dental Plans Association is the not-for-profit national association of the 39 independent Delta Dental companies. Through these companies, Delta Dental is the nation's largest dental benefits provider and offers the country's largest dental network with approximately 151,000 participating dentists. Over the last 16 years, Delta Dental companies and their foundations invested over $2.4 billion to improve the oral and overall health of our communities.

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SOURCE Delta Dental Plans Association