THOUSANDS RECEIVE LIFE-CHANGING CARE WITH SUPPORT FROM DELTA DENTAL OF SOUTH CAROLINA ORAL HEALTH GRANTS
Grant Applications for 2025 will be Accepted Starting in February
BLUFFTON, S.C. (Dec. 17, 2024) … Preventive and restorative dental care can be costly, especially for those without dental coverage. To address this issue, the Bluffton Jasper County Volunteers in Medicine (BJVIM) William & Sheryl Magro Dental Clinic is helping uninsured residents in Greater Bluffton and Jasper County get much-needed dental care – free of charge. In part, thanks to life-changing oral health grants that the organization has received from Delta Dental of South Carolina, the clinic has been able to assist more than 1,500 individuals in recent years.
Since 2020, BJVIM has received a total of $125,000 from Delta Dental of South Carolina, including $25,000 as part of its most recent grant cycle. All funds have been instrumental in BJVIM’s ability to establish and sustain its William & Sheryl Magro Dental Clinic. In 2020, the initial funding given by Delta Dental of South Carolina enabled the organization to purchase essential dental equipment, including dental chairs, x-ray machines, imaging software, sterilization equipment and dental assistant tools, which allowed one dentist to provide routine cleanings. Since then, the clinic has grown to include a dental director and seven volunteer dentists. Service offerings have expanded to include panoramic x-rays, simple extractions, fillings, dentures and access to a denture molding lab. Ongoing funds received from Delta Dental of South Carolina have enabled the clinic to sustain services, purchase additional equipment and support staff salaries.
“Oral health is a vital component of Bluffton Jasper Volunteers in Medicine’s services and is essential to improving our patients’ overall well-being,” said Pam Toney, executive director of BJVIM. “We are deeply grateful to Delta Dental for its generous support, which enables us to continue providing critical dental care and expanding our programs for those who would otherwise lack access to this necessary treatment. This ongoing funding for our William & Sheryl Magro Dental Clinic significantly enhances our capacity to improve our patients’ quality of life and, quite literally, brings smiles to their faces.”
Albert, a 48-year-old patient of BJVIM’s William & Sheryl Magro Dental Clinic, echoed the sentiment that Toney shared about the impact of the services provided. Albert was missing his two front teeth and received a partial denture to complete his smile. He left the clinic smiling ear to ear and returned to his place of employment at a local seafood restaurant where his staff members were ecstatic for him. He later came back to the clinic with a five-pound bag of cooked shrimp for the volunteers to show his appreciation and stated, “Not only am I able to smile now, but I have a new sense of self-confidence in everything I do. I can smile at work, smile at home and smile at strangers on the street.” Albert has remained a patient of the clinic for two years and has never missed an appointment.
As a non-profit organization and a leading dental benefits provider, Delta Dental of South Carolina has given millions of dollars in support of organizations that align with its mission to improve oral health and help South Carolinians access vital dental treatment and educational services. In the last two years alone, the company provided more than $747,000 in funding to 21 organizations across South Carolina.
“Our passion and our purpose is to help people of all ages live better lives through improved dental health,” said Stacy Harris, supervisor of community outreach at Delta Dental of South Carolina. “By donating grants to a variety of organizations – like BJVIM’s William & Sheryl Magro Dental Clinic – we can help connect thousands of people to essential dental resources to enhance their overall health and quality of life.”
Delta Dental of South Carolina awards grants annually to select organizations for general operations, programs, projects and capacity-building efforts promoting the oral health of individuals in South Carolina. Objectives of its grant program include the following:
• Reducing oral disease through education, prevention and treatment
• Ensuring access to affordable, timely and high-quality dental care
• Enhancing the awareness of good oral health with a focus on children and individuals in need
• Making a measurable difference in the oral health of South Carolinians
• Helping to ensure that South Carolina is among the states with the highest indicators of oral health.
Grant applications for 2025 consideration will be accepted starting on February 3, 2025. To learn more, visit https://www.deltadentalsc.com/AboutUs/oral-health-grant-program.
About Delta Dental of South Carolina
Delta Dental of South Carolina is a trade name of Delta Dental of Missouri, a dental benefits provider and a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization, which operates in South Carolina under that name. It provides more than 370,000 members in South Carolina with access to affordable, high-quality dental care through group plans tailored to meet the needs of organizations of all sizes, from large corporations to small businesses with two or more employees. Delta Dental also offers dental benefit plans directly to individuals and families. It also provides access to affordable, high-quality vision care through group vision benefit plans. The company proudly supports oral health initiatives, educational programs and charitable causes that help educate people about the importance of dental health and provide free dental care to those in need. It also created the South Carolina Dental Care Resource Guide to help individuals access information about low-cost and free dental care options in their area—available online at www.DeltaDentalSC.com/ResourceGuide1. To learn more about the company, visit www.DeltaDentalSC.com.