Colorado colleges granted $5M to expand oral health programs

Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation, one of the largest funders of oral health initiatives in the state, on Monday said it’s granting a total of nearly $5 million to four colleges to help them expand existing dental hygiene programs or start new ones from scratch — all with the goal of addressing workforce shortages and diversifying the profession.

The grants, split among Front Range Community College, Community College of Denver, Colorado Mountain College and Pikes Peak State College, will be distributed in installments over the next four years. The colleges were selected in part because of their diverse student populations, said Adeeb Khan, executive director of Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation.

The grants will help establish dental hygiene programs at Front…