Bulletin of Dental Education Article

University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine (Penn Dental Medicine) is continuing to advance care for persons with disabilities through the support of the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation Access to Care Grant Program, which was recently awarded a $620,900 grant over three years for educational programming targeted to caregivers. 

“Penn Dental Medicine is tremendously grateful to the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation for this investment in our oral health education programming for caregivers to persons with disabilities,” said Stephen Abel, D.D.S., M.S.D., Clinical Associate Professor at Penn Dental Medicine and the principal investigator on the grant. “Enhancing the knowledge and attitudes of caregivers can lead to behavior changes that result in improving the oral health of those individuals with disabilities under their care, as well as their own.”

According to the National Council on Disability, approximately 13.5% of the overall U.S. population lives with a disability—among seniors 75 or older, the prevalence of disability jumps to 46%—many living with a reduced capacity for self-care and relying on others to perform daily living activities, including oral hygiene. Studies have shown that individuals with disabilities and their caregivers often encounter heightened challenges in understanding basic health information, stemming from lower health literacy, which, in turn, is linked with poorer oral health status and lower likelihood of adhering to preventive oral health messages. 

“Effectively transforming oral health habits among individuals with disabilities and their caregivers requires a foundational shift in knowledge and attitudes toward oral health,” noted Dr. Abel. “For optimal oral care delivery, it is crucial to educate caregivers using engaging, culturally sensitive methods at appropriate literacy levels, and that is our goal with this project.”

The educational initiative supported by the Delta Dental grant will build upon the prevention-oriented treatment delivered within Penn Dental Medicine’s Care Center for Persons with Disabilities Personalized Care (PCare) Suite, which opened in 2020 and has become a major dental care provider for individuals throughout the greater Philadelphia region. Last fiscal year, nearly 2,000 patients were treated in the PCare Suite, representing approximately 5,400 patient encounters; a quarter of the patients were over 65 years old. 

“I am excited by the potential impact of this program to improve the health of persons with disabilities by educating them and their caregivers on the importance of oral health and hygiene,” says Mark S. Wolff, D.D.S., Ph.D., the Penn Dental Medicine Morton Amsterdam Dean.

A key aspect of treatment within the PCare Suite is working with patients and their caregivers to minimize disease through personalized care visits that find the best accommodations for receiving care and improved home oral hygiene—this grant will significantly expand resources in this area. The first stage of the project will involve a series of focus groups of home caregivers, nurses and other direct service providers to learn more about their attitudes and behaviors when it comes to carrying out oral hygiene procedures on persons with disabilities under their care. Information collected from these focus groups will inform the design and content of a series of oral health education videos and other training tools, which will be developed in collaboration with consultants from avarious professional (nursing, nutrition, dental) and advocacy groups (disability and senior).

The funding will also support a full-time oral health educator and part-time hygienist who will deliver targeted, individualized training sessions as well as group sessions in multiple clinical and community settings, including the School’s PCare Suite. The Arc of Philadelphia, an advocacy and resource center for individuals with disabilities, will serve as a project consultant as well as a principal training site for staff and clients. Training sites will also include multiple locations of the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, a community agency for older Philadelphians and people with disabilities. Over the three years of the grant, it is estimated that 4,350 seniors and another 9,750 adults under 50 years of age will benefit from this educational initiative. 

“At Delta Dental, we’re driven by our purpose to improve health by providing access to quality care, just like Penn Dental Medicine,” said Kenzie Ferguson, Vice President of Foundation and Corporate Social Responsibility for Delta Dental of California and affiliates. “We believe that good health starts with a healthy mouth. By improving access to oral health care, we can help people live healthier lives. We’re proud to support the work of Penn Dental Medicine and to be part of this shared commitment to our communities.”

This is the most recent support from the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, which has advanced education, research and patient care programs at Penn Dental Medicine for more than a decade through thoughtful philanthropy.  

About Delta Dental Community Care Foundation
The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California and its affiliated companies, including Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania and Delta Dental of New York, Inc. Since 2011, the Community Care Foundation has awarded more than $150 million in funding and support to increase access to quality dental care, oral health education and to advance scientific research across the company's 15-state service area and Washington, DC. For more information about the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, please visit www1.deltadentalins.com/foundation.

About Delta Dental of California and affiliates
Since 1955, Delta Dental of California and affiliates has offered comprehensive, high-quality oral health care coverage to millions of enrollees and built the strongest network of dental providers in the country. The Delta Dental of California enterprise includes its affiliates Delta Dental Insurance Company; Delta Dental of Pennsylvania; Delta Dental of New York, Inc.; Delta Dental of the District of Columbia; Delta Dental of Delaware, Inc.; and Delta Dental of West Virginia, and provides dental benefits to more than 31 million people across 15 states and the District of Columbia. All are members of the Delta Dental Plans Association based in Oak Brook, IL, the not-for-profit national association that, through a national network of Delta Dental companies, collectively covers millions of people nationwide. For more information about Delta Dental of California and affiliates, please visit www.deltadentalins.com.

Courtesy of University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine

Published on November 13, 2024