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Delta Dental language and cultural assistance

Language and cultural assistance

Communicate effectively with all of your patients with the help of Delta Dental's Language Assistance Program (LAP). 

Language and cultural assistance

Communicating clearly and accurately is essential to quality health care. Demonstrate your commitment to patients by incorporating cultural understanding into your practice.

Here are ways to boost your cultural competency skills:

  • Attend classes and continuing education courses about cultural differences.
  • Ask patients (or a relative or friend also attending the appointment) what the preferred language is and how you can create a
    comfortable environment. Note the answers in the patient’s chart.
  • Document your practice’s protocol for working with cultural differences in your office manual. Make sure all staff are familiar with it.
  • Be sensitive to how well the patient understands you and always take time to answer questions.

If you discover a language barrier, call Delta Dental. We will arrange for a qualified interpreter to help you communicate with your patient in any language at no cost.

If possible, dentists and/or office staff may speak with limited-English proficient patients in the patients’ preferred languages. However, you are encouraged to call Delta Dental first. Clear and accurate health information is essential to the delivery of quality health care. Interpretation through a trained and certified interpreter is preferable to interpretation through friends or family, to ensure clarity and accuracy.

Delta Dental’s Language Assistance Program (LAP) provides language assistance to enrollees with limited proficiency in English.

LAP services include:

  • Delta Dental website in Spanish
  • Customer Service phone assistance in more than 170 languages
  • Face-to-face interpreter services at your office
  • Document translation in non-English languages 
  • Dentist directories that include the self-reported languages of contracted dentists and staff who speak languages other than English

If you are a Delta Dental contracting dentist in California, you have specific obligations under California law. To learn more about your obligations, visit our legal notices page.

Delta Dental telephone numbers for interpreter services:

  • State Government Programs: 800-838-4337
  • Delta Dental Premier® Delta Dental PPO™: 800-765-6003
  • DeltaCare® USA: 800-422-4234
  • DeltaVision®: 866-774-5595 (providers) or 800-422-4234 (enrollees)
  • TTY 711

Delta Dental can also arrange on-site interpretation at the dental office location. To arrange face-to-face interpreter services, call Delta Dental’s customer service department at least 72 hours in advance of the appointment time.

Print a copy of our printer-friendly  English-Spanish phrase guide for easy access.