A $30,000 grant from the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation is helping provide dental care to people with disabilities supported by Wayzata-based nonprofit Hammer Residences.

Gabe, who lives in one of the nonprofit’s 36 residential care homes, was recently able to pay for his root canal because of assistance from the grant, which the foundation has awarded Hammer for the past four years.

Before the procedure, Gabe was in a lot of pain. After learning that he was in need of a root canal, Gabe was faced with a dilemma since the bill for the procedure would be more than $1,000 after insurance coverage. Although he was saving money, Gabe does not currently work and attends a day program instead, so paying the bill on his own was not possible.

Thanks to the financial assistance from the grant, Gabe is now pain free and smiling again.

Individuals with developmental disabilities often have more frequent and more severe oral health problems than the general population. According to Hammer, most of the individuals served by the organization are on Minnesota’s Medicaid program and are limited to one exam and cleaning per year, with additional care not typically covered.

To learn more about Hammer, visit hammer.org.

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