Access Dental Care Newsletter

March| 2026

Dear friends,,

Last year was marked by meaningful milestones at Access Dental Care, and we are already building on that momentum in 2026.

Across North Carolina, ADC continues to grow through shared effort, fueled by a powerful combination of foundation grants, challenge gifts, board leadership, individual donors, and staff who support our mission. Together we provide person-focused dental care in an effective and efficient manner that overcomes barriers.

With gratitude,

Bill Milner & Betsy Lee White

Co-founders of Access Dental Care

Building on 25 Years of Impact

Celebrating our 25 years of Access Dental Care service to North Carolina gave us a chance to stop and consider all the marvelous things we have accomplished. It reminds us how lucky we are to have a special “collection of heroes” of donors, staff and board members who truly understand our unique mission.

These 25 years have created a foundational model of mobile dentistry that is becoming an essential part of routine of health care for special care population.

Our impact in 2025 Alone:

This is what access looks like in action.

5 dedicated mobile dental teams delivering care five days a week across North Carolina, with expansion underway.
+58,000 dental services provided, addressing complex oral health issues.
8,000 individual patients served across 200 facilities.
+10,000 patient appointments across 66 counties.

Expanding Access Across North Carolina

Wilmington: A Major Investment in Growth

In the very last days of 2025, The Endowment awarded Access Dental Care a $300,000 grant to add another team to our rapidly growing need in the Wilmington area.

Our current team operates the New Hanover County Older Adult Dental Program while also serving 19 nursing homes, group homes and PACE program. This year we will start an operating room program with NOVANT to provide a full complement of special care services for individuals in this rapidly growing area of North Carolina.

Greenville: Partnering with ECU School of Dental Medicine

We are actively recruiting a new team who will work with the ECU School of Dental Medicine to educate students, faculty, and local practitioners in caring for frail elders and persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities across eastern North Carolina.

This effort is possible through the combined support of: The Anonymous Trust, The Cannon Charitable Trust, The Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Family Foundation.

Western North Carolina: Launching This Spring

Our Western North Carolina program, centered in Asheville, will begin service this spring. Generously funded by The Dogwood Health Trust, this program will serve from Asheville/Hendersonville to Murphy.

A $100,000 Matching Challenge - Help Us Replace Truck #1

The Charles L. “Buddy” Weill Fund, through a grant from the Community Grants Program of the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, challenges Access Dental Care to raise $100,000 in new gifts to fund the replacement of our first dental truck, which has been in service for over 25 years.

Each donation will be matched dollar for dollar, meaning your gift of $10,000 equals $20,000 for Access Dental Care and our programs in the Piedmont.

BECAUSE OF YOU

We hope this update reminds you of the incredible impact you have made. Because of your generosity, our mobile dental teams reach individuals who would otherwise go without care, serving the needs of frail elders, people with complex medical conditions, and intellectual and developmental disabilities where they live.

Together, we are removing barriers to ensure that compassionate, essential oral health care is accessible to those who need it most across our state. Every gift helps expand our reach, support our clinicians, and sustain the mobile infrastructure that makes this work possible. With your partnership, we are building a future where access to care is not determined by disability.