Contact: Cullen Werwie, 608-267-7303
$241,000 goes to kids’ sealant programs across Wisconsin
MADISON – Governor Walker today, on behalf of the state, accepted a $241,000 check from Delta Dental of Wisconsin – the third installment of Delta Dental’s ongoing support of the Seal-A-Smile children’s-dental-health program.
Seal-A-Smile is a public-private partnership that offers grants to local school-based programs to place sealants on the teeth of underserved children.
The program has expanded from serving more than 2,000 children and placing 5,000 sealants in 2000 to more than 16,000 children receiving more than 44,000 sealants in 2010, in part because of continued funding from Delta Dental.
Seal-A-Smile is administered by the Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin and operates in 51 counties around the state.
“We’re grateful for Delta Dental’s partnership in the Seal-A-Smile program,” said Governor Scott Walker. “Delta Dental should be commended for their support of this program.”
“A sealant costs around $16. The lifetime cost of a single cavity is more than $2,000,” Dennis Peterson, Delta Dental’s executive vice president, said in presenting the check.
“It makes tremendous sense to spend $16 to save $2,000.”
The $241,000 given by Delta Dental represents its 2011 match of federal HRSA grant funding obtained by the state for Seal-A-Smile. The money will be used to buy dental equipment and fund expansion of the program into additional counties.
“Delta Dental’s partnership has been invaluable in the expansion of this program,” said Karen Ordinans, executive director of Children’s Health Alliance.
The Legislative Joint Finance Committee recently approved additional state funding of $250,000 in 2013 for the Seal-A-Smile program predicated on private matching funds; as a result, Peterson said, “I fully expect Delta Dental to continue its support of this valuable program.”
“I’m pleased that the JFC was able to find the funding for Seal-A-Smile,” said Governor Walker. “It’s important that we’re able to leverage state funding for good use and Delta Dental’s partnership allows that to happen.”
About Delta Dental of Wisconsin
Delta Dental of Wisconsin is a not-for-profit dental service corporation offering benefit services, claims processing, and plan administration to employers throughout Wisconsin since 1962. The company is headquartered in Stevens Point, with sales offices in Milwaukee and Madison, and provides benefits and services to more than 1.4 million subscribers and their family members. Delta Dental administers dental benefits for more Wisconsin companies than any other insurance carrier.
As a member of the nationwide Delta Dental Plans Association, the company is able to offer employees of Wisconsin-based companies the same dental benefits to wherever they are located in the United States. The Delta Dental Plans Association is the largest dental-benefits system in the nation. Its member companies provide benefits to more than 51 million people in 93,600 employer groups across the United States.
