Dental Safety Net Grant Program
Dental Safety Net Grant Program supports nonprofit dental providers offering free or reduced-cost oral health care to uninsured, low-income patients under 21, helping sustain care through Minnesota’s dental safety net.
Funder: Minnesota Department of Health
Due Dates: October 16, 2026 (Letter of Intent) | December 14, 2026 (Full application)
Funding Amounts: Estimated $113,000 total; estimated awards of $2,260–$33,900
Summary: Supports nonprofit dental providers offering free or reduced-cost oral health care to uninsured, low-income patients under age 21.
Key Information: More than 80% of patient encounters in the past 12 months must have been with uninsured, Medical Assistance, or MinnesotaCare patients.
Description
The Minnesota Department of Health’s Office of Rural Health and Primary Care administers this program under Minnesota Statute 145.929. It supports dental providers serving uninsured young people who lack coverage for oral health care. Eligible providers offer free or reduced-cost care to patients under age 21 whose family incomes fall below 275% of federal poverty guidelines.
The program directs funding toward providers serving this population. Each year, grants are awarded proportionally among eligible programs based on the total number of uninsured patients under age 21 they serve. This approach ties support to documented care delivered through the dental safety net.
