Delta Dental Foundation Provides $30,000 to Carolinas HealthCare Foundation

Funds will equip clinic for oral cancer patients in need of facial reconstruction.

Charlotte, NC, August 13, 2016 --(PR.com)-- The Delta Dental Foundation awarded a $30,000 grant to Carolinas HealthCare Foundation to equip a new maxillofacial prosthodontics clinic at Carolinas Medical Center, a part of Carolinas HealthCare System.

The $30,000 grant is the largest the Delta Dental Foundation has awarded to date in North Carolina.

Almost 50,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with oral cancer -- which includes head and neck cancers – each year, and it is one of the most expensive cancers to treat. North Carolina has a particularly high incidence of head and neck cancer, and many of the patients lose significant portions of their face and/or jaw as a result. Carolinas Medical Center’s maxillofacial prosthodontics program, the only program of its kind in the region, will provide necessary facial reconstruction for patients in need.

“Treatment of head and neck cancer patients often includes a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy that frequently results in functional limitations in ability to maintain optimal oral health and nutrition,” said Dr. Michael Brennan, Chairman of the Department of Oral Medicine at Carolinas HealthCare System. “The generous gift from Delta Dental Foundation allowed us to obtain the necessary equipment to provide full dental services and thus restore our head and neck cancer patients' ability to have improved oral health and function.”

“The Delta Dental Foundation recognizes the need for state-of-the-art equipment to support this cutting-edge maxillofacial prosthodontics program,” said Curtis Ladig, President and CEO of Delta Dental of North Carolina. “For patients who have lost portions of their face and/or jaw as a result of this disease, treatment is not just a matter of restoring appearance, but also restoring the ability to speak and eat.”

About the Delta Dental Foundation
The Delta Dental Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization established in 1980, which serves as the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and North Carolina. The foundation’s goals are to support education and research for the advancement of dental science, and to promote the oral health of the public through education and service activities, particularly for those with special needs. For more information, visit www.deltadentalnc.com.

About Delta Dental of North Carolina
Delta Dental of North Carolina is a nonprofit dental service corporation created in 1970 to provide dental benefits throughout the state. Its mission is to improve the oral health of the communities it serves. It does so by providing affordable access to oral health care with the largest network of providers, including two out of every three dentists, in North Carolina.
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Delta Dental
Elaine Loyack
(919) 424-1044
deltadentalnc.com
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