Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation: Helping Well Child Center Pediatric Dental Clinic to Transform Children’s Oral Health

By Lora Vitek on October 3, 2024 in Corporate Social Responsibility

At Delta Dental of Illinois, we believe that good oral health is a fundamental part of overall health and well-being. That’s why at our enterprise, the priority is to improve the health and well-being of the customers and communities we serve. As highlighted in our 2023 Corporate Social Responsibility Report, we are intentional in furthering this vision through our efforts including philanthropic and social impact initiatives to drive better outcomes for those in our communities, as well as Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation’s work to expand oral health education and access to care in our own backyard.

As part of the Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation’s efforts, our Community Grants Program provides funding to organizations that deliver oral health care and/or education to the community it serves. We are committed to supporting organizations that remove barriers to care and promote health equity. With the help of our community grant recipients, we can improve access to care and provide essential education and other health services across Illinois. Through this program, we have supported 41 organizations impacting 287,889 lives in the past five years. We are proud to partner with and support organizations who work tirelessly every day to improve the health, access, and equity of those in our community. Well Child Center in Elgin, Ill. is one such organization.

Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation has provided funding through its Community Grants Program for over seven years to Well Child Center. This sustained funding has enabled Well Child Center to continue its essential dental care for children, particularly benefiting families with incomes below the federal poverty line.

Well Child Center offers comprehensive oral health services and oral health education to children from economically underserved communities at low- or no-cost. Dedicated to providing comprehensive dental care and support for children, Well Child Center’s pediatric dental clinic serves children from infancy to age 18, and up to age 21 for individuals with disabilities. Services include dental cleanings, X-rays, fluoride treatments, sealants, fillings, and more. Well Child Center integrates dental care with nutritional education through its WIC (Woman, Infants, and Children) program and “First Tooth” initiative, promoting overall health and well-being from a young age, making the clinic a critical resource for families from historically marginalized communities.

Well Child Center establishes a dental home for families, providing vital ongoing care. By removing barriers to access, they ensure that more children receive the healthcare they need. Well Child Center begins their treatment with patients by fostering long-term relationships based on trust and treating all families with dignity and respect. Once families get care, they rarely leave, returning for recurring care again and again – something often uncommon for public health clinics. For example, a local family brought their twin daughters to Well Child Center as babies, and these same twins recently turned 18 and had their last dental appointment at Well Child Center. This is impressive for any provider, but especially, for a public health clinic. Both Well Child Center staff and the girls formed such a tight bond that the last appointment was an emotional goodbye for all involved.

Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation’s funding has been crucial in supporting Well Child Center’s initiatives in key areas, including supplies for crucial treatment, operational overhead and salaries for dental office staff, as well as the creation of new programs and initiatives to help broaden the services offered, to better serve their current patients and care for more patients.

Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation funding supports Well Child Center’s unique approach with its WIC program and “First Tooth” initiative, ensuring that children receive their first dental checkup by age one. Along with providing a wide variety of comprehensive dental services for children, the “First Tooth” initiative encourages a collaborative relationship between nutritionists, dental staff and parents to integrate oral health with overall health and provide the tools and education needed for continued healthy habits as children grow. This initiative aims to reduce the number of cavities in young children in communities where there are individuals with incomes below the federal poverty line, such as Kane County. In a 12-month period of time, Well Child Center has provided over 4,100 dental appointments to approximately 2,500 children, increasing the number of patients served by nearly 40%.   

Looking to the future, Well Child Center is engaged in a new initiative based on the post-pandemic relationship between oral health and mental health in teens, with the help of the Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation’s most recent Community Grant funding. This initiative addresses the oral health challenges faced by teens experiencing mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, which can often lead to poor oral hygiene and negative health outcomes. Well Child Center will provide mental health professionals in the community with education, resources and training on understanding signs when mental health is starting to negatively impact oral health. This effort includes the development of a standardized curriculum with defined training objectives and activities for mental and behavioral health providers to bring more awareness about the link between mental health and oral health.

The ongoing partnership between Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation and Well Child Center exemplifies the profound impact that grant support can have on community health initiatives and outcomes. Through innovative programs and comprehensive services, this partnership is making a lasting difference in the community, ensuring that children receive the care they need for a healthy future.