DELTA DENTAL MAKES DONATION TO NEWTON DENTAL CLINIC 

PARSIPPANY, NJ (July 8, 2004) – The Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey Foundation, Inc. (Delta Dental) recently made a donation to the Northwest New Jersey Dental Coalition's UMDNJ (University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey) Dental Center in Newton. The grant will be used to support the continuation of preventive and restorative dental care for those in Sussex and Warren Counties who are uninsured or rely on Medicare or Medicaid for health care. Delta Dental's funds will be used to defray operating costs of the program and to provide services directly to patients.

Currently, there is only one dentist in Sussex County and very few in Warren County who will accept patients without some form of insurance. According to NORWESCAP Perspectives of Low Income People in Northwest New Jersey, there are approximately 5,941 Sussex County residents and 6,709 Warren County residents who are below 100 percent of the poverty guideline ($17,650 for a family of four). Approximately 27 percent of Sussex County low-income residents and 38 percent of Warren County low-income residents cited dental care as an unmet need.

"It is part of our mission to support organizations that directly impact the oral health of underserved populations in New Jersey," said Walter VanBrunt, vice president, Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey Foundation, Inc. The Newton Clinic is a wonderful resource for families who are otherwise unable to afford adequate dental care."

Patients are referred to the UMDNJ Dental Center in Newton by a number of sources, including the Bureau of Social Services; NORWESCAP; school nurses; Domestic Abuse Services, Inc.; the Division of Aging and more.

"There is a dire need in this community for the dental services our clinic provides," explained Deb Fisher, president of the Board of Directors for the Northwest New Jersey Dental Coalition. "We are fortunate to have a wonderful, state-of-the-art facility, but we rely on the support of organizations like Delta Dental to keep our doors open and provide access to dentists for those in need."

About Delta Dental
Delta Dental established the Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey Foundation in 1986. Its mission includes promoting and assisting educational projects devoted to the enhancement of dental health, research programs designed to increase public awareness of the general benefits of good health, and to improve dental health through the science of dentistry. Each year, the Delta Dental Foundation provides financial support to various organizations throughout the state.

Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey, Inc., is New Jersey’s and Connecticut's leading dental benefits carrier, providing coverage to more than one million people through contracts with employers in New Jersey and Connecticut. The Delta Dental Plan system offers seamless dental benefits administration for employer groups throughout the country and the largest network of credentialed dentists in the nation. For more information visit us on the Web at www.deltadentalnj.com.