DentaQuest invests in California community organizations working to improve oral health for school-age children

Recipients GeriSmiles and The L.A. Trust aim to help underserved communities achieve optimal oral health

, /PRNewswire/ -- DentaQuest, part of Sun Life U.S., today announced it recently donated $45,000 to two nonprofits bringing oral healthcare and hygiene education to schoolchildren in the greater Los Angeles area.

DentaQuest's donation of $30,000 will help GeriSmiles Dental Health Foundation expand access to its Mobile Dental Hygiene Practice, which brings oral health and nutrition education and dentistry services to underserved and largely uninsured residents. Last year, GeriSmiles reached more than 60,000 Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernadino school district students. The additional locations of Blythe, Trona and Needles are high-need communities in the same region.

The Los Angeles Trust for Children's Health (The L.A. Trust) will use a $15,000 grant to enhance parent/caregiver oral health education by incorporating nutrition and diabetes information and piloting the updated sessions at eight Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) elementary schools in underserved communities, primarily in South Los Angeles. The existing bilingual (Spanish/English) oral health education sessions for parents/caregivers address widespread oral health myths, ensuring that all families, including LAUSD's large Spanish-speaking population, receive accurate and accessible oral health information.

"By supporting these local efforts, DentaQuest can extend oral health access beyond the members we serve via trusted community organizations that are best positioned to meet specific community needs," said David Healy, president, Dental, Sun Life U.S. "These efforts align directly with our mission to improve the oral health of all, helping people overcome common barriers to dental care like transportation and language."

Earlier this year, DentaQuest donated $80,000 to grassroots organizations across California working to increase oral health education and access, and reduce the impact of social determinants of health. The L.A. Trust also received a $5,000 DentaQuest donation in honor of its Executive Director Maryjane Puffer's recognition as a 2024 DentaQuest Health Access Hero. This support builds on prior investments to address the health workforce shortage, such as the Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine safety net externship. The Sun Life U.S. family of companies will serve nearly half a million Californians when the newly awarded dental managed care contracts in Los Angeles and Sacramento go live. Increasing access to care and helping future providers get the education they need in California and beyond, are part of DentaQuest's long-standing commitment to improving the oral health of all.

About DentaQuest
Sun Life U.S. Dental, which includes DentaQuest, is dedicated to improving the oral health of all through purpose-driven, outcomes-based solutions. We make dental benefits better for everyone through Preventistry^® – an inclusive approach centered on preventive, quality care, expanded access and solutions built on valued relationships across the health care ecosystem. We manage dental and vision benefits for approximately 35 million Americans. For 30 years, we have delivered cost-effective benefit plans and services for employer groups, individuals, health plans, and government-sponsored dental programs. We are the largest Medicaid and CHIP dental benefits administrator in the U.S., by membership. We also support direct patient care through an expanding network of approximately 75 dental practices in underserved communities across the United States. Learn more about Sun Life U.S. Dental at sunlife.com/dental and dentaquest.com.

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SOURCE DentaQuest