DTA Foundation Awards $50,000 in Grants to Advance Innovative Oral Health Programs

Gila River Health Care Corporation and Dignity Health Foundation – East Valley receives 2026 funding to expand access to preventive oral health care and strengthen the dental workforce

The Dental Trade Alliance Foundation (DTA Foundation) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2026 oral health grants: Gila River Health Care Corporation and Dignity Health Foundation – East Valley. Each organization will receive a $25,000 grant, totaling $50,000 in funding for innovative projects designed to address critical oral health challenges in their communities.

Selected for their innovative, sustainable and scalable approaches, the two projects focus on expanding access to oral health care for underserved populations while exploring new ways to integrate dentistry into broader healthcare settings.

Gila River Health Care Corporation: Dental Hygienist in Pediatrics

Gila River Health Care Corporation has received its first grant from the DTA Foundation to launch Dental Hygienist in Pediatrics, a pilot program designed to bring dental hygienists directly into pediatric care and introduce oral health services earlier in a child’s life.

The project will serve the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC), a federally recognized tribe located along the borders of the Phoenix metropolitan area and home to nearly 21,300 enrolled members of the Akimel O’Otham (Pima) and Pee-Posh (Maricopa) tribes.

Through the pilot program, a dental hygienist will join pediatric providers during well-baby checkups to perform oral screenings, provide parents and caregivers with dental anticipatory guidance and preventive services, and help establish a dental home for infants as their primary teeth begin to emerge.

By integrating dental care into routine pediatric visits, the project aims to make oral health an important part of preventive care from the earliest stages of a child’s life.

Dignity Health Foundation – East Valley: Hospital Oral Care Workforce Development

The DTA Foundation has also awarded a $25,000 grant to Dignity Health Foundation – East Valley for its Hospital Oral Care Workforce Development project.

The initiative builds on a project originally funded by the DTA Foundation in 2018 that integrated bedside oral care into the hospital setting. The program demonstrated positive results, including reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia in the ICU through the introduction of bedside oral care twice a day. Patients also showed measurable improvement in oral health, with oral health scores decreasing by 4.04% from their initial bedside oral exam to their final assessment.

“I am so impressed! There is one person dedicated to only my husband’s oral care. They are very attentive and helpful. Every hospital should have this!”
– Patient’s Family Member

Now, the successful program is being scaled to extend its impact. With the new funding, Dignity Health Foundation – East Valley will begin developing a standards-based curriculum and training videos to provide dental hygienists with the expanded skills, knowledge and certification needed to enter the emerging hospital-based career pathway.

The project demonstrates how an innovative pilot program can develop into a sustainable model with the potential to strengthen the dental workforce and improve oral health care in hospital settings.

Industry Support Makes Innovation Possible

The DTA Foundation’s grant program is made possible through the continued generosity of partners throughout the dental industry. Annual pledge supporters enable the Foundation to invest in organizations testing innovative solutions to oral health challenges and expanding access to care.

The DTA Foundation extends its appreciation to its most recent donors, including Medicom, Elevate Oral Care, Zirc Dental, Kettenbach, Dental City, Preventech, US Bank, VOCO, NDC, NSK, ITL, SDI, PacDent, Microcopy, Ultradent, Centrix, WaterPik, Envista, Kuraray, Henry Schein, Solventum, Bisco and L&R Ultrasonics.

Their continued support helps transform promising ideas into programs capable of creating meaningful and lasting impact.

About the Dental Trade Alliance Foundation

The DTA Foundation’s mission is to enable access to, empower personal ownership of, and increase the utilization of oral healthcare. The foundation achieves this through strategic partnerships, research, and education.  

For more information, visit dtafoundation.org.