DELTA DENTAL PARTNERS WITH MATHENY SCHOOL AND HOSPITAL AND UMDNJ-SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY TO ESTABLISH A DENTAL CLINIC FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

PARSIPPANY, NJ (January 7, 2002) – The Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey Foundation, Inc. (Delta Dental) recently made a donation to the Matheny School and Hospital that will be used to staff and equip three dental offices in Matheny's new, state-of-the-art medical and dental facility. The donation was made to Matheny, a teaching facility for people of all ages with developmental disabilities, as part of Delta Dental's initiative to provide funds to organizations that assist those without access to traditional dental care.

Matheny, located in Peapack, NJ, specializes in the care of individuals with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, and Lesch-Nyhan disease. Five years ago, Matheny received an exploratory grant from Delta Dental to evaluate and provide a means of dealing with the orthodontic needs of its residents. In reviewing the situation, Matheny's directors realized that there was a greater need for general dentistry services, including cleanings and fillings. They also determined that there's an overall shortage of dentists trained and skilled in working with physically-handicapped patients.

To address these issues, Delta Dental and UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School joined forces with Matheny to create a facility that will care for this special population and also serve as an on-site teaching clinic. Delta Dental's donation will provide the three new dental offices with instruments to accommodate residents' physical handicaps, such as tilting devices for wheelchairs. The facility, which will be staffed by UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School faculty, will also be a learning center for dental students currently in the residency phase of schooling.

"Through our partnership with Matheny, physically-handicapped patients will now be able to receive much needed care from specially-trained dentists," said Gerald Sydell, Chairman, Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey and Vice President, Delta Dental Foundation, Inc. "Since the Foundation also endeavors to assist in educational pursuits of those interested in dentistry, it is especially meaningful to us that the clinic will also be a training facility for students to learn valuable, specialized skills that are so desperately needed in our field."

In December, Matheny began renovation of a wing in the hospital that will house the new medical and dental facility. The wing will ultimately include a waiting area, medical records area, and examination/treatment rooms. It is scheduled to open this year.

Matheny is a nonprofit organization that receives state, federal, and local funding as well as grants and private donations. It currently provides residential, inpatient and outpatient service to over 650 clients and their families. Services are available on a residential or an outpatient basis. Its mission is to provide people with habilitative services and to assist them in the attainment of their optimal level of functioning. In addition, the organization engages in professional activities including, but not limited to, research, development, and the dissemination of information.

Delta Dental established the Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey Foundation in 1986. Its mission includes promoting and assisting educational projects devoted to the enhancement of dental health, research programs designed to increase public awareness of the general benefits of good health, and to improve dental health through the science of dentistry. Each year, the Delta Dental Foundation provides financial support to various organizations throughout the state.

Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey, Inc., is New Jersey’s leading and largest dental benefits carrier, providing coverage to more than one million people through contracts with employers in New Jersey and Connecticut. The Delta Dental Plan system is a national network of independently operated, not-for-profit dental service corporations specializing in providing dental benefits programs for employee groups throughout the country. For more information visit us on the Web at www.deltadentalnj.com.