Minnesota Dental Safety Net Grant Program

651.201.5154
Health.SafetyNetGrants@state.mn.us

The Dental Safety Net Grant Program offers grants to support eligible critical access dental providers in Minnesota who provide services for uninsured patients under the age of 21.

Eligibility requirements:

• Nonprofit organization
• Not affiliated with, owned by, or managed by a hospital or medical group
• Offers free or reduced-cost oral healthcare to low-income patients under the age of 21 with family incomes below 275% of federal poverty guidelines who do not have insurance coverage for oral healthcare services
• Provider is eligible to become or is a critical access dental provider, as designated by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS)
• Provider is able to demonstrate that more than 80% of the dental provider's patient encounters per year are with patients who are uninsured or covered by medical assistance or MinnesotaCare
• Not a current recipient of a mental health safety net grant or a hospital safety net grant

Estimated total program funding: $113,000
Estimated award maximum: $33,900
Estimated award minimum: $2,230

Grant funds will be allocated proportionally based on the number of individual uninsured patients under the age of 21 served by each eligible provider, compared with the number of uninsured patients under the age of 21 served by all eligible providers.

Links to additional guidance, application instructions, and the online application portal are available on the program website.

Submit an online letter of intent by October 16, 2026. After the letter of intent process, MDH estimates notifying all eligible applicants of their grant formula distribution by November 23, 2026, with the budget and narrative application due December 14, 2026.