Grantee Name
New York State Dental Foundation
Funding Area
Special Projects Fund
Publication Date
December 2012
Grant Amount
$225,000
Grant Date:
December 1, 2009 – August 25, 2011
Research has repeatedly demonstrated that poor oral health can complicate and increase the costs of chronic disease.
Described as “a silent epidemic” in the 2000 U.S. Surgeon General’s report, inadequate access to dental care is a serious problem that disproportionately affects members of racial and ethnic groups; the elderly; and those with disabilities and complex health problems. Since 2008, Donated Dental Services (DDS), a collaboration of volunteer service programs used in nearly 40 other states, has served New York City residents as a means to overcome financial barriers to dental care.
In November 2009, NYHealth awarded the New York State Dental Foundation (NYSDF) a grant to scale and integrate DDS statewide in order to make the existing dental care network more accessible to high-need populations by providing care through existing community resources.