Centers for Inclusive Dentistry

Better Oral Health for People with Disabilities

To increase access to quality, affordable care for people with disabilities, the Delta Dental Foundation (DDF) created the Centers for Inclusive Dentistry (CID) program. This program funds the training and resources dental teams at nonprofit, public health clinics need to provide people with disabilities—especially intellectual and developmental disabilities—the best possible care across the lifespan. You can read more about the first cohort to receive immersive training at "Training providers to deliver better dental care to people with disabilities."

What We Hope to Accomplish

Increase access to dental care for persons with disabilities by creating CID sites across each state.
Reduce appointment wait and drive times.
Deliver safe, quality care for patients with disabilities in traditional dental settings.
Decrease reliance on operating rooms and sedation to administer dental treatment.
Develop innovative procedures to integrate patients with disabilities into clinic practice.
Develop a turnkey model for disabilities treatment that can be implemented at any dental clinic.
Provide a location for experiential learning for dental students and dental hygiene students.

How It Works

As a Center for Inclusive Dentistry:

All dental staff will undergo immersive training at the Nisonger Center at the Ohio State University or the New York University Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities.
Dental staff will evaluate their clinic and determine the additional equipment needed, if any, to provide high-quality treatment.
Clinics will receive a stipend to collect data and project outcomes.
Clinics will commit to significantly expanding the number of patients with disabilities they treat and to assisting in the development of a national model.

For full program inclusion requirements, click the "Request Information" button below.