Notice:
With no one left behind
2024 Mission Impact Reflection
Delta Dental of Washington
Delta Dental of Washington Mission
We disrupt, transform, and revolutionize the oral health industry to remove barriers to healthcare and improve overall health.
At Delta Dental of Washington, we have an ambitious goal that all people can have a healthy smile by 2035. The mouth is the window to the body and our primary means of communication. Our smiles connect us to each other and far too many people hide them out of discomfort or embarrassment. When oral disease is severe, it impacts many aspects of life - relentless mouth pain, exacerbates chronic health conditions, and negatively impacts employability, school success, and confidence. Achieving this goal will take a collective effort and commitment to addressing equity. Reaching oral health for all means learning about and collaboratively addressing the unique needs and situations of individuals, groups and communities that are experiencing the greatest risks and burdens of oral disease. Thank you to our many partners including dental teams, employers, community organizations and all of you that trust Delta Dental for your dental benefits.
To help us achieve our 2035 goal, we proudly support our foundation, Arcora Foundation. They are the state’s largest oral health foundation, and their mission is in their name: bending the arc of oral health toward equity. Arcora’s many partnerships help them advance oral health equity across Washington state through systems change. For example, with DentistLink—a public-private partnership of Arcora, Washington State Health Care Authority, and Project Access Northwest—they connect tens of thousands of people with Apple Health (Medicaid) or no insurance to local dentists and resources like interpretation and transportation for free. Read more about their work and their impact across the state in their 2025 community report.
Our plans incentivize prevention – enabling early detection and reducing need for treatment
Our Maximum Wellness Plan rewards members for using their preventive benefits. Every year that they get a check-up, their annual maximum increases. Larger annual maximums mean members’ benefit stretch further to cover more treatments.
In 2024, we laid the groundwork for the January 2025 launch of our TotalHealth Wellness Program, an additional diagnosis-specific benefit. It offers extra cleanings and oral health services to members with health conditions that can be impacted by untreated gum diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
We partner with employers to run customized preventive care campaigns
In 2024, we partnered with 34 employer groups reaching over 27,000 members. We use Dental Action Reports to provide clients with valuable insights into populations who may not be fully utilizing their dental benefits. These reports drive our collaborative initiatives to encourage dental visits, such as on-site mobile dentistry, targeted awareness campaigns for at-risk populations. By identifying and addressing these gaps, we continue to re-engage members who have not visited a dentist in years, driving better health outcomes and plan utilization.
We continue to offer the largest dentist network
We offer a robust provider network with over 4,800 dentists offering members a wide range of in-network options. Despite challenges in the dental industry, our Delta Dental Premier® and Delta Dental PPO™ networks have shown consistent net growth year after year, solidifying our position as the state's largest network. With 96% of members able to access at least 2 in-network dentists within 10 miles of their location, members can easily find care and maximize their benefits.
Our new virtual dentistry program, powered by Dentistry.one, increases convenience
This innovative service allows members to access care conveniently, especially those with urgent dental needs or dental phobias. Through AI assessments and 24/7 consultations via smartphone, members can receive immediate guidance, reducing the burden on emergency rooms. Our platform connects members with in-network dentists to establish permanent dental homes, ensuring continuity of care with a personal touch throughout.
We now offer whole-person health with vision and hearing benefits
In 2024, over 26,000 of our members added new vision benefits through our DeltaVision® plans. And, starting in 2025 we offer our new hearing savings program in partnership with Amplifon Hearing Health Care for all Individual and Family members, providing access to virtual hearing screenings, hearing aid services, and more.
Thank you to our members dentists for providing outstanding care in 2024
Our Member Dentists saw 1,458,461 unique patients, offering 2,315,655 preventive visits. In 2024, 91.4% of Delta Dental of Washington members who saw their general or pediatric dentist at least once received preventive care – including routine cleanings, topical fluoride, sealants, Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) applications, and oral hygiene instructions.
In total, our general and pediatric Member Dentists completed:
- Routine cleanings (adults 18+): 1,771,753
- Routine cleanings (children): 496,251
- Fluoride application (adults 18+): 1,047,199
- Fluoride application (children): 462,459
- Sealants (adults 18+): 11,224
- Sealants (children): 48,258
We reward our Member Dentist partners for delivering care that keeps patients healthy
In 2020 we launched our Provider Reimbursement Model (PRM), which centers and rewards routine preventive care. By the end of 2024, over 80% of our general and pediatric providers had opted into the PRM, taking advantage of the investments Delta Dental of Washington continues to make in higher reimbursements – totaling over $140M since 2020.
In response to Member Dentist feedback of facing ongoing economic pressures due to inflation and increased overhead, in 2024 we announced we would automatically apply a 4% inflationary increase on hygiene, restorative, and other select codes for Member Dentists on the PRM and for Specialists.
In 2024 we began taking steps to increase amalgam fees to match composite filling fees over the next 2 years, alongside our ongoing efforts to eventually update all plans to include composite fillings as the standard of care. While this change doesn’t directly increase provider compensation, increasing amalgam fees to match composite will significantly reduce out-of-pocket expenses for impacted members – creating a better experience for both providers and their patients.
Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) benefits for patients:
- Preserves more natural tooth structure
- Reduces dental anxiety for patients averse to drilling
- Minimizes repeated cycles of repair.
In 2024 we announced we were doubling reimbursement for Silver Diamine Fluoride. This helps preventive minimally invasive dentistry (MID) techniques become more sustainable for dental practices. Commonly known as SDF, Silver Diamine Fluoride is an affordable and painless alternative to cavity management that can stop current tooth decay from worsening, prevent new decay from forming in the future, and re-mineralize treated teeth.
PNWU School for Dental Medicine gears up for 2025 inaugural class
We committed $12 million to launch the 2nd second dental school in Washington at Pacific Northwest University. Delta Dental Equity Hall opened in 2024 and is preparing to welcome the first class of 36 dental students in 2025. The School for Dental Medicine will train dental students to practice in rural and underserved areas of the state.
Dental Career Discovery Program reached over 2300 youth
The Dental Career Discovery: A Hands-On Journey program partners with local schools and community programs giving young people, especially those from historically underrepresented groups, the chance to experience the dental field, in a hands-on, fun and engaging workshop. In 2024, we added a mentorship component to the program and additional resources to support students’ journeys into the dental field.
Lake Washington Institute of Technology expands dental programs
With our support, Lake Washington Institute of Technology completed their clinic renovations, welcomed the 4th cohort for their new dental assistant program and gained accreditation approval for expanding their dental hygienist program in 2025
We are thankful for our community partners for removing upstream barriers to oral health care
By working together, we can support more inclusive, accessible programs, promoting healthier communities and building trust.
Our diverse group of Tooth Fairies reaches kids starting in kindergarten
Our Tooth Fairy Program is dedicated to visiting classrooms and providing free community resources to decrease the amount of tooth decay in kids. Through our kid-friendly presentations, kids learn about good brushing and flossing habits, how to identify healthy snack options, how a healthy smile connects to a healthy body, and how different cultures from around the world talk about teeth!
Supporting School-Based Oral Health Programs
The Washington Dental Service Innovation Team continued efforts to expand the reach and impact of School-Based Oral Health Programs. We provided technical assistance and funding for improvement activities and facilitated a workgroup with the Department of Health and the HealthCare Authority to revising statewide guidelines.
Global Perinatal Services (GPS)
In 2024, Arcora Foundation proudly supported GPS with a grant to advance their critical work. We co-authored an article with GPS emphasizing the importance of pregnant individuals accessing dental care in the first trimester
Rural Resources Community Action
Our employees contributed to Rural Resources' impactful work by volunteering 116 hours to prepare nutritious food boxes for seniors facing nutrition insecurity.
Atlantic Street Center
The Atlantic Street Center hosts an annual Juneteenth Celebration. We were thrilled to show up and support the celebration.
American Cancer Society
We participated in the American Cancer Society’s Fit2Be Cancer Free campaign to raise awareness and funds for cancer research, prevention, and treatment. The campaign pairs fitness with awareness. We donated $.20 for each mile tracked by our employees and matched $2,500 in employee donations.
American Heart Association
Through our partnership with the American Heart Association, we support food security efforts that have reached over 1.5 million people in Washington.
Seattle Pride, Spokane Pride, Colville Pride
We proudly marched in honor of our LGBTQIA+ members, employees, and partners in Pride Parades in Seattle, Spokane, and Colville. We partnered with local organizations to support ongoing Pride-related efforts like Seattle Pride’s Pride in the Park and Entre Hermanos’ Sabroso Drag Brunch.
Washington State Senior Games
We partnered with this organization to promote maintaining a healthy lifestyle and support positive healthy activities for the participants. Plus, our Senior Tooth Fairy made her debut and handed out medals and over 550 oral health kits to track and pickleball participants and their families.
