Qlarant Foundation Awards $25,000 to Maryland Foundation for Dentistry

Qlarant Foundation continued support for the Maryland Foundation for Dentistry (MFD) with an award of $25,000 to expand oral care for the state’s most vulnerable populations. MFD supports those that are most challenged in accessing dental care.

Currently, only 25% of dentists in Maryland accept Medicaid, and seniors and other adults with disabilities are unable to pay out-of-pocket for their dental care, so they often go without needed treatment until their declining oral health becomes an emergency.

The mission of the MFD is to improve oral health and maintain dental function for Maryland’s low-income seniors and adults with intellectual, physical, and/or developmental disabilities. The population MFD serves often has urgent dental problems but lack the insurance or finances to pay for treatment. MFD focuses on providing services to individuals without private dental insurance.

During the most recently completed fiscal year, MFD served 626 constituents and treated 300 patients across Maryland. As of November 2024, MFD has 675 volunteer dentists and specialists, and over 200 dental laboratory partners.

Unlike at one-day clinics, MFD’s volunteer dentists perform treatments in their private offices and treat patients until their oral health is fully restored. This unique approach emphasizes a continuum of health and the breadth of dental treatments. The approach subsequently helps to reduce dependence on emergency departments for dental complaints and helps reduce the burden on safety net providers such as local health department clinics.

Qlarant Foundation funds are used to cover ongoing patient care, including laboratory fees. Operating support also includes Patient Care Coordinators’ compensation. These staff members provide vital advocacy and connections for our patients. Additionally, this award supports MFD’s expansion of resources through a digitally accessible library of short guides for patients, caregivers, and care providers regarding oral health.

“Dental care is foundational to overall health, yet the high costs of oral health often led patients to neglect their dental needs,” said Alyce Blayne-Allard, Executive Director for MFD. “This increases their chances of developing dangerous health conditions such as infections, heart disease, and diabetes. Additionally, lack of dental care can exacerbate life-threatening conditions. For example, a patient may be prohibited from cancer therapies or organ transplants because they are deemed “at too great a risk of an infection because of poor oral health.”
To address the dental care needs of adults with disabilities and support their caregivers, who are primarily women, MFD provides much-needed dental care at no cost to patients and their families through a support system that includes a robust network of volunteer dental professionals.