Site Search

When the Delta Dental of Rhode Island Fund was established at the Rhode Island Foundation in 2005, it formalized a commitment to improve access to dental health services for children, low-income, and elderly Rhode Islanders. Now marking its 20th anniversary, the Fund has provided over $9 million in grants since its inception and stands as a powerful example of how thoughtful, strategic philanthropy creates lasting change.

As the state's largest dental insurer and a nonprofit organization with over 60 years of service to the community, Delta Dental of Rhode Island’s mission extends well beyond insurance coverage. With headquarters in Providence and more than 650,000 members, Delta’s leadership and employees demonstrate a genuine devotion to improving oral health for all Rhode Island’s residents.

"When we give back, we truly mean it," says Joseph R. Perroni, Delta Dental of Rhode Island’s President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our mission is to deliver accessible, affordable dental care, and that doesn't mean for just our members or those dentally insured, that means for all Rhode Islanders."

In establishing this long-standing endowed fund, Delta Dental has helped to ensure that its initiatives remain sustainable, supporting improvements in oral health and education regardless of changing business and economic conditions, with a focus on two critical areas: access to care and workforce development.

Addressing the crisis of access

The need for expanded oral health care access for the uninsured and underinsured in Rhode Island is stark. Thirty-four percent of the state's residents receive Medicaid, but, according to an Executive Office of Health and Human Services report, less than ten percent of Rhode Island dentists submitted claims for adult Medicaid patients in 2021, illustrating a significant gap in care.

"Right now, our understanding is that there can be up to a six-month wait for a dental appointment at a community health center," Perroni notes. "As fast as we help create new operatories, the appointments are filled. A focus for Rhode Island right now is improving pathways to care within the Medicaid population."

The pandemic further exacerbated these challenges nationwide, with many dental hygienists and dental assistants across the country leaving the profession due to personal health concerns.  

Making a difference where it matters

Over the past two decades, Delta Dental of Rhode Island has strategically supported high-impact programs designed to address the state's most pressing oral health challenges through its endowed donor advised fund. These initiatives represent collaborative efforts with community partners to create sustainable solutions that reach the state’s most vulnerable populations, build essential infrastructure, and develop the dental workforce needed to serve all Rhode Islanders.  

RI Mission of Mercy: A decade of free care  

The RI Mission of Mercy (RIMOM), founded and run by the Rhode Island Oral Health Foundation, celebrated its tenth year in 2024. This annual free two-day dental clinic provides services to those without insurance, those underinsured, and anyone without access to oral health care. Hundreds of dentists, dental assistants, hygienists, and community volunteers supported over 600 Rhode Islanders and donated more than $375,000 worth of services in 2024 alone.

Delta Dental has been the premier sponsor of the clinic since its inception, contributing significant financial support through the fund. Over its ten-year history, RIMOM has provided over $3.5 million in free dental care.

"It's good for the soul," says Dr. Jeffery Dodge, Founder of the Rhode Island Oral Health Foundation. "I feel blessed to have been a part of it, and I feel very good with the number of people we're able to help every year."

Delta’s commitment also extends beyond financial support for the event. Michelle Muscatello, Vice President of Communications and External Affairs, highlights the company's volunteer efforts: "Over two dozen employees and their families volunteered at the RI Mission of Mercy Clinic this year. Our employees look forward to it. Helping is so important."

Building the oral health care workforce with CCRI  

Recognizing that access to care depends on maintaining enough trained professionals, Delta Dental has made significant investments in workforce development. The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) Dental Clinic serves as both a training ground for dental hygiene and dental assistant students and provides free oral health services to over a thousand Rhode Island residents annually.

Delta Dental has invested substantially in upgrading the clinic with new, industry-standard equipment. Additionally, in 2023, the company made a multi-year pledge to address the nationwide shortage of hygienists through the Delta Dental of Rhode Island Scholarship program, offering annual scholarships to dental hygiene students who commit to working in Rhode Island for at least a year after graduation.

These investments have yielded impressive results: a 20% increase in enrollment due to the expansion of learning labs, with a recent survey of scholarship recipients finding that 100% of respondents plan to continue practicing in Rhode Island following their one-year commitment.

Muscatello explains the genesis of this successful partnership: "It was getting both sides in a room and asking 'what do you need' – and working together to find a way to have the most impact, as quickly as we could. The scholarship program has been so successful that it’s now being replicated across the country."

Expanding community health resources

Recently, Delta Dental contributed to the opening of new oral health facilities operated by Providence Community Health Centers (PCHC) and Tri-County Community Action Agency, to further expand access to care.

PCHC, a non-profit healthcare organization serving more than 80,000 Rhode Island residents, received support for a new adult dental clinic with nine new operatories, onsite laboratories, and X-ray capabilities. This expansion increases PCHC's capacity to serve adults who need care, regardless of their ability to pay.

Similarly, Delta Dental's investment supported Tri-County's Pediatric & Family Dental Center, a new state-of-the-art dental facility opened in North Providence in the summer of 2024, enabling Tri-County to substantially increase the number of dental visits available to underserved families in the state.

The organization has also assisted in providing crucial support to the Samuels Sinclair Dental Center at Rhode Island Hospital, which serves children and intellectually or developmentally disabled patients of any age, helping to fund the purchase of new industry-best equipment to enhance the center's operatories.