DELTA DENTAL TO SPONSOR LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER CHILDREN'S DENTAL HEALTH EVENT FEBRUARY 29

PARSIPPANY, NJ (February 26, 2004) – The Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey Foundation, Inc. will celebrate Children's Dental Health Awareness Day by presenting a special educational event at the Liberty Science Center on February 29. Sponsored through a partnership between Delta Dental and the UMDNJ New Jersey Dental School, the event offers a variety of fun, educational activities that encourage improved oral hygiene, preventive dental care and good nutrition. The program is geared toward preschool through teenage children.

Dental Health Awareness Day activities include interactive learning stations, carnival-style games, dental-related arts and crafts, nutrition education, and a special presentation by Delta Dental's Captain Supertooth, the costumed superhero of oral health. Prizes will be awarded at the various displays, with raffles held throughout the day.

Other highlights include a hands-on dental lab, interactive PC games that encourage good dental hygiene, and visits from the Tooth Fairy and other costumed dental-related characters. A "Mr. Grossmouth" display will educate youngsters and their families about the dangers of smoking and tongue piercing. Visitors can stop by an "Ask The Dentist" station to ask dentists oral health-related questions. A dental poster contest with submissions by elementary school students from Bergen, Hudson and Essex counties will be judged during the event. In addition, Dr. Lawrence Dobrin will be on hand to present information regarding forensic dentistry.

Volunteers from Delta Dental, UMDNJ and the Hudson County Dental Society will staff the interactive display stations and educate the 3,000 children and their families who are expected to attend the event.

Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease. More than 51 million school hours are lost to dental-related illness each year, according to the surgeon general's report, Oral Health in America, which was released in 2000. To address this issue, Delta Dental participates in initiatives throughout the year - such as the Liberty Science Center event - that reinforce the importance of establishing good oral health habits at a young age. Delta Dental's outreach programs include presentations by Captain Supertooth, who visits schools in New Jersey and Connecticut to teach kids about proper oral care.

"Children respond to educational messages when they are presented in a fun, entertaining way," said Walter VanBrunt, president and chief executive officer of Delta Dental. "The Liberty Science Center Dental Health Awareness event is a great way to get the whole family involved in hands-on learning through a variety of activities."

Participation in the Dental Health Awareness Day is included in the cost of admission to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. Those who attend can enjoy the event as well as  hundreds of interactive exhibits, live science demonstrations and activities that focus on invention, health and the environment. The even takes place between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. For information about the Liberty Science Center, including directions, visit its Web site at www.lsc.org, or all 201-200-1000.

Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey, Inc. 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 and Connecticut's leading 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.