GRAYSLAKE – State Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) thanked Delta Dental Monday for supplying Lake County with a $50,000 emergency grant to improve oral health and overall health for area residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Together, with the help of groups like Delta Dental, we will get through this health crisis,” Bush said. “Protecting the health of all Illinoisans is a top priority.”

The grant received by the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center was part of $1 million awarded by the Delta Dental Illinois Foundation through its emergency grant program. The Lake County Health Department was one of 20 Illinois groups to receive part of the funding.

With its share of the money, the Waukegan-based group will develop a system to control airborne particles generated during dental services and purchase additional personal protective equipment for the dental team.

“Oral care is an important part of an individual’s overall health and well-being,” Bush said. “People need to feel safe when they go to the dentist.”