CT State Manchester To Benefit From Delta Dental Grant

MANCHESTER, CT — The Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation announced it is awarding $2.27 million in SMILE Workforce Grants in 2026 to support the pipeline of dental assistants and hygienists in New Jersey and Connecticut. CT State Community College Manchester is benefitting.

The Foundation plans to award more than $3.5 million in workforce funding over the next three years, when combined with other multi-year grant commitments.

Among the most substantial investments this year is a $1 million grant to the County College of Morris Foundation — the largest corporate foundation grant in CCM’s history—to support the launch of dental hygiene and dental assisting programs at the college’s Center for Health Professions, which is slated to open in 2027.

"For 40 years, the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation has been committed to expanding access to oral health care for our most vulnerable neighbors. At Delta Dental, we believe that when we do well as a company, we want to do good for the communities we serve," said Paul Di Maio, the president and CEO of Delta Dental of New Jersey and Delta Dental of Connecticut. "By investing in programs that support the full career journey of dental professionals — from early exposure in middle or high school to accredited collegiate and on-the-job training programs—we're advancing access to dental care for all."

According to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis projects, there’ll be a national shortage of 33,220 dental hygienists and 19,860 general dentists by 2038. In response, this round of SMILE Workforce Grants from the Foundation ranged from $6,500 to $1 million and were given to 16 organizations in New Jersey and five in Connecticut to fund dental education programs and modernize educational infrastructure.

The Manchester Community College Foundation is among the recipients.