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Behind the smiles

2025 COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT

From our President and CEO

For more than 60 years, Delta Dental of Rhode Island has been committed to making critical oral health care more accessible in our home state, both for our members and for all our Rhode Island neighbors living and working across the state. We are proud to make significant philanthropic investments in the communities we serve in order to advance that mission.

In 2025, beyond providing grants, equipment donations and other forms of support to help expand and enhance community-based dental clinics across the state, we invested in proven programs that support the people, organizations and care settings that make up Rhode Island’s oral health system.

From serving as a premier sponsor of the Rhode Island Mission of Mercy free dental clinic for the 11th year, to providing funding to help the Molar Express initiative bring its mobile dental clinic to more traditionally underserved communities in the state, our philanthropic focus in 2025 was to remove barriers to care and support the delivery of services in trusted, community-based settings.

At the same time, we also continued our longtime commitment to strengthening the future of the state’s dental workforce. This year, we launched the Delta Dental of Rhode Island Dentist Loan Repayment Program to help early-career dentists manage student loan debt while committing to practice full-time in Rhode Island. We also once again awarded scholarships to dental hygiene students at the Community College of Rhode Island, supporting the next generation of professionals who will care for our state’s communities in the years ahead.

Together, these efforts reflect a holistic approach to access — one that recognizes that sustainable care depends on both opportunity and support.

The strength of Rhode Island’s oral health system comes from dedicated providers, innovative community organizations, and a shared commitment to improving outcomes for residents across the state. As Rhode Island’s largest dental insurer, we are grateful for the opportunity to play our part in helping to sustain and strengthen that system.

We look forward to working alongside state leaders, our partners in the nonprofit community, and our colleagues in the oral health sector to continue advancing our shared mission in 2026 and beyond.

All my best,

Joseph R. Perroni President & CEO

Delta Dental of Rhode Island

Cover photo: Delta Dental of Rhode Island member Amanda Populus interacts with students at Dr. Day Care.

Our impact: by the numbers

Delta Dental of Rhode Island supports Rhode Island’s oral health care system through strategic funding, volunteerism and advocacy, partnering with healthcare and nonprofit organizations to expand access to care and strengthen the dental workforce statewide.

In 2025, whether through expanding capacity at community clinics or supporting new initiatives that meet patients where they are, Delta Dental of Rhode Island’s philanthropic efforts directly impacted the lives of 53,000 Rhode Islanders and indirectly supported exponentially more.

2025 Philanthropic support

$1.6 million TOTAL DONATED

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & EDUCATION

$564K

Strengthening Rhode Island’s oral health care workforce and training the next generation of dental professionals.

ACCESS TO CARE

$792K

Expanding access to care for all Rhode Islanders.

COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS

$240K

Providing the resources and attention our nonprofit partners need to advance their missions.

53,000 DIRECT LIVES IMPACTED

2025 Awardees

Delta Dental of Rhode Island Dentist Loan Repayment Program

Michael Accaoui, DMD

Elizabeth Choi, DMD

Finn Evans, DMD

Aliza Hanif, DMD

Jordan O’Neill, DMD

Julia Lafen, DMD

Matthew Pazienza, DMD

Gayathri Shenoy, DMD

Investing in Rhode Island’s next generation of dental professionals

Delta Dental of Rhode Island is committed to ensuring the state’s dental sector talent pipeline remains strong.

“This loan repayment program not only is a boon for the dental industry, but also helps Rhode Island retain hard-working, talented people who advance our state’s health and well-being goals. I’m grateful to Delta Dental of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Foundation for their vision on this effort, and for their partnership in building a better future for our state.”

— Dan McKee

Governor of Rhode Island

Introducing the Delta Dental of Rhode Island Dentist Loan Repayment Program

As part of our continuing effort to encourage new dentists to begin and grow their careers in Rhode Island, we launched the Delta Dental of Rhode Island Dentist Loan Repayment Program in 2025 — a new initiative to help local dentists defray their student loan burden as they build their careers in Rhode Island.

Eight local dentists who graduated from dental school in the last five years — six of whom work in private practices and two at federally qualified health centers — were selected as the inaugural cohort of awardees for this program.

Awardees of the program are eligible to receive up to $20,000 in student loan assistance annually for up to three years, provided they continue to practice full-time in Rhode Island throughout the duration of their participation in the program and demonstrate an existing or future commitment to meeting the needs of underserved Rhode Islanders.

Photo: (top) Members of the 2025 cohort of the DDRI Dentist Loan Repayment Program were honored at the Rhode Island State House in December 2025. (bottom) Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee greets Dentist Loan Repayment awardees and their families.

This program is administered by the Rhode Island Foundation. Applicants are evaluated and ultimately selected by an independent review committee consisting of leaders in Rhode Island’s oral health sector.

The program will be returning in 2026.

Scan or click for more information.

Creating pathways to fulfilling careers in dental hygiene

We understand the critical role hygienists play in the oral health care sector. That’s why Delta Dental of Rhode Island has made addressing the nationwide shortage of dental hygienists a cornerstone of our workforce development strategy, pairing investments in higher education with direct, practice-level support for hiring and retention.

Through our partnership with the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI), we annually offer scholarships to help students in the Dental Hygiene Program complete their degrees and enter the Rhode Island workforce prepared to make a difference.

Plus, in 2025, we were proud to launch our own Hygiene Workforce Program. This initiative is designed to support in-network dental office in Rhode Island by providing funding to help recruit and retain hygienists during a period of nationwide shortages.

Together, these long-term investments will continue to grow the next generation of hygienists, support them as they enter the field, and help dental offices keep the talent Rhode Islanders rely on for preventive care.

Continuing to support legacy programs

Delta Dental of Rhode Island continued its support of several existing workforce-focused programs in Rhode Island in 2025, including:

RI Health Professional Loan Repayment Program: Delta Dental is a longtime supporter of the Rhode Island Department of Health and Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner’s Health Professional Loan Repayment Program (HPLPR), contributing more than $500,000 to the program since its inception. This statewide program offers student loan assistance for medical and dental professionals who commit to practicing in underserved areas, strengthening access to care statewide.

Tufts University Scholarship: Delta Dental of Rhode Island increased our investment in our Endowed Scholarship Fund at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. The scholarship program supports pre-doctoral DMD students from Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, with a preference for Rhode Island residents who demonstrate an interest in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

“Together with Delta Dental of Rhode Island, we are developing the next generation of dental professionals to serve Rhode Island with skill, compassion, and excellence. This partnership is about investing in talent — ensuring that the very best and brightest dental hygienists are prepared to care for our communities and contribute to a stronger, healthier state.”

— Rosemary A. Costigan, Ph.D., RN President Community College of Rhode Island

“We are deeply grateful to Delta Dental of Rhode Island for their generous commitment to supporting our students. This scholarship gift not only eases the financial burden for aspiring dental professionals, but also strengthens our shared mission to expand access to compassionate, high-quality oral health care.”

— Nadeem Karimbux

Dean

Tufts University

School of Dental Medicine

Photo: 2025 CCRI Dental Hygiene Program graduates.

Improving access to care across Rhode Island

At Delta Dental of Rhode Island, we believe oral health care should be accessible and affordable for all Rhode Islanders.

“This tremendous community partnership is bringing high-quality dental care to more Rhode Island kids in need. By expanding into the Blackstone Valley, the Molar Express will help brighten the smiles of students across the state and ensure their families can conveniently and efficiently get them to the dentist when they need to.”

— U.S. Senator Jack Reed Rhode Island

Supporting the expansion of mobile dentistry to new Rhode Island communities

We know that an effective way to expand access to care is to bring it directly to the people who need it most. Organizations like the Molar Express work to do just that.

In 2025, Delta Dental of Rhode Island provided a grant to help the Molar Express — a schoolbased, mobile pediatric dental clinic — expand its reach into Central Falls and Pawtucket, bringing no-cost preventive and restorative dental services right to children in their schools and community settings.

The Molar Express annually serves nearly 2,000 young Rhode Islanders, roughly 96% of whose families rely on Medicaid. This expansion builds on the program’s success and represents a strategic effort to meet families where they are and help more Rhode Island children grow up with healthy smiles.

Supporting the health of postpartum mothers

Photos: (top) Oral health care professionals at RI Mission of Mercy 2025. (inset) The Molar Express provides pediatric health services to meet the oral health care needs of Rhode Island youth at schools, head start programs and other community programs across the state.

Delta Dental of Rhode Island is proud to support Women & Infants Hospital through a multi-year investment in its Community Mobile Health Clinic. This initiative brings postpartum care directly to at-risk mothers in the communities where it is needed most. As part of our support, families receive infant oral health kits and educational resources that help establish healthy habits early in life — reinforcing our belief that oral health is an essential part of maternal and infant wellness.

Enhancing service at community health centers

Delta Dental of Rhode Island continued its commitment to supporting community-based clinics and health centers that serve traditionally underserved Rhode Islanders. In 2025, we provided a grant to Blackstone Valley Community Health Care, helping the organization replace equipment and renovate the sterilization room at its Pawtucket dental clinic. Additionally, we once again provided financial support for the dental clinic at the Rhode Island Free Clinic, which served more than 500 dental patients in 2025.

Reaching thousands of in-need Rhode Islanders at 11th Mission of Mercy

Delta Dental of Rhode Island proudly partnered with the Rhode Island Oral Health Foundation and Providence Community Health Centers to host the 11th Rhode Island Mission of Mercy, a two-day clinic that offers free, comprehensive dental care to anybody who needs it. Thanks to the incredible efforts of the dentists, hygienists, clinical staff and community members who volunteered their weekends for the cause, this year’s clinic served more than 600 patients and delivered more than $300,000 worth of donated dental services.

“The grant awarded to our organization was instrumental in advancing the quality and safety of care we provide to our patients… significantly improving clinical efficiency, infection control processes, and patient comfort. We are deeply grateful for Delta Dental’s continued investment in community oral health.”

— Dillon Moore, DDS Dental Director

Blackstone Valley Community Health Care

“I’ve witnessed firsthand how [RIMOM] builds a powerful sense of camaraderie among dental professionals and community volunteers. Together, we see the real impact that dental pain, tooth loss, and declining oral health can have on a person’s self-esteem, wellness, and daily life—and we also see the profound transformation that compassionate care can bring.”

— Marie Jones-Bridges, PHDH, BS RIMOM volunteer

Photos: (top) Dr. Dillon Moore of Blackstone Valley Community Health Care poses with new equipment purchased with assistance from Delta Dental of Rhode Island. (bottom) Dentists attending to a patient during RI Mission of Mercy 2025.

1,071 hours volunteered

Building on our culture of service

Delta Dental of Rhode Island’s service-oriented culture extends well beyond financial grants. We believe meaningful impact starts with empowered employees, which is why we actively encourage our employees to give back to the organizations and causes that matter to them.

125 organizations supported

Photos: (clockwise from top) Amenity Aid: Celebrating a successful day of preparing essential hygiene products for distribution to those in need. Operation Stand Down: Helping veterans register to receive dental services. Crossroads Rhode Island: Beautifying the property on a spring cleanup day. Rhode Island Mission of Mercy: Registering volunteers at the two-day dental clinic. RI Community Food Bank: Setting up for the Empty Bowls fundraiser. Newport Marathon: Distributing aid at the finish line, the team supports participants as they complete the event. Crossroads Rhode Island: Assisting with meal preparations in the Crossroads kitchen.

In 2025, Delta Dental of Rhode Island and its employees were proud to support:

American Heart Association

Big Brothers Big Sisters Rhode Island

Blackstone Valley

Community Health Care

Brown University Health

Care New England Health System

Children’s Friend

Community College of Rhode Island

Community Preparatory School

Comprehensive Community Action Program

Crossroads Rhode Island

Dental Lifeline Network

Rhode Island

Hope Health

Junior Achievement of Rhode Island Justice Assistance

Make-a-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island

Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island

Providence Community Health Centers

Rhode Island Business Group on Health

Rhode Island Community Food Bank

Rhode Island Free Clinic

Rhode Island Health Center Association

Rhode Island KIDS COUNT

Rhode Island Mission of Mercy

Rhode Island Oral Health Coalition