NCHC Medical Mobile Unit now a Pediatric Dental Mobile Unit too

More Norwalk children could soon smile a little brighter. Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation has awarded a SMILE grant to Norwalk Community Health Center, Inc. (NCHC). Funds support expanding NCHC’s Medical Mobile Unit services to include pediatric oral health care. NCHC is a nonprofit health center that provides a continuum of primary medical and dental care and wellness services. 13,000 men, women and children from greater Norwalk and Fairfield County rely on the Health Center each year for their pediatric, adult medicine, dental, women’s and behavioral health care, regardless of ability to pay.

“Delta Dental Grant has given us the ability to go out into the community on our medical mobile unit and provide oral health care to children who may not have been able to come to us,” said Meryl Hertz, Norwalk Community Health Center’s Director of Dental Health. The American Dental Association recommends children see a dentist before their first birthday.

The grant will bring a dental hygienist, backed by NCHC’s Dental Team, to several locations, including Norwalk Community College Early Education Children’s Development Lab School, in unserved and underserved neighborhoods in greater Norwalk. It expands NCHC’s capacity to provide children a dental as well as a medical home, where they find services that promote health, diagnose and treat disease and disability, and help them cope with environmental challenges that put them at risk.

Delta Dental of New Jersey is New Jersey’s leading dental benefits company, providing or administering coverage to more than 1.7 million people through contracts with groups in New Jersey and Connecticut. In Connecticut, Delta Dental of Connecticut, Inc. is a licensed insurer that writes dental coverage on an insured basis, and Delta Dental of New Jersey administers self-funded dental benefit programs. In 1986, Delta Dental established the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit, charitable organization, which supports projects and programs that increase access to dental care and education for children, developmentally disabled persons, seniors, and veterans. Its mission is to improve the oral health of New Jersey and Connecticut residents by providing charitable contributions to solve oral health care challenges.

Norwalk Community Health Center, Inc. is a nationally recognized health center and 501(c)3 nonprofit healthcare provider. This year, NCHC is celebrating 20 years of providing quality, innovative care that enriches the lives of its patients and leads the community toward the achievement of the best possible health. Learn more about NCHC at https://norwalkchc.org and http://facebook.com/norwalkchc.