DALLAS, Jan. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Association of Dental Plans (NADP) Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2026 grant awards, supporting innovative projects that improve access to oral healthcare, strengthen dental benefit administration, and expand research and education across diverse communities. The 2026 grantees are: The Children’s Oral Health Network of Maine (COHN), Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, University of New Haven, and University of Pikeville.
About the Grant Recipients
Children’s Oral Health Network of Maine will implement self-paced, online training modules and family interventions developed through its Cavity Free Futures project. The organization also will develop a financial simulation tool and business case analysis to demonstrate the sustainability of dental billing across both public and private insurance programs. This work will strengthen provider participation and improve long-term access to care for children and families.
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine will lead The AHEAD Project, which will create and deliver training for dental students focused on insurance, benefits, coding, and billing. The program will be piloted with 100 third-year dental students and evaluated by its impact on participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and confidence navigating dental benefits systems.
University of New Haven will implement a digital patient intake system and on-demand interpretation services in a community dental clinic, improving communication and access for vulnerable populations. The project will also train more than 100 students annually and generate research to inform scalable models for academic and safety-net dental clinics nationwide.
University of Pikeville will investigate why children in Central Appalachia who have dental benefits continue to face significant barriers to care. The project will pilot teledentistry as an innovative solution and generate evidence-based recommendations to improve benefit utilization, oral health outcomes, and oral health policies.
“We are pleased to fund these projects and look forward to seeing their impact on patients’ and providers’ increased understanding of dental benefits and improved access to oral health care,” said Foundation Board Chair Brad Peak, Sun Life U.S.
The 2026 grants follow a round of 2025 grants awarded to Charm Economics, LLC, The Children’s Oral Health Network of Maine (COHN), and Rady Children’s Hospital – San Diego.
About the NADP Foundation
The NADP Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organized in 1997. In 2023, the Foundation registered as a public charity in the state of Massachusetts. The NADP Foundation promotes the oral health of Americans through increased access to dental services.
About NADP
NADP is the largest non-profit trade association focused exclusively on the dental benefits industry. NADP members provide dental HMO, dental PPO, dental indemnity, and dental savings plan products to more than 200 million Americans with dental benefits. NADP members include the entire spectrum of dental carriers: companies that provide both medical and dental coverage, companies that provide only dental coverage, major national carriers, regional, and single state companies, as well as companies organized as non-profit plans.
CONTACT:
Michael Adelberg
NADP Foundation President
NADP Executive Director
(972) 457-1554
madelberg@nadp.org
