The DentaQuest Partnership for Oral Health Advancement has announced its investment of $6.1 million in 75 organizations across the United States dedicated to improving the oral health of all. Grants were awarded in the first quarter of 2019, with additional funding to more organizations to be awarded later this year.
The grants focus on addressing policies and perceptions that perpetuate poor oral health outcomes and lead to significant health disparities, reflecting DentalQuest’s believe that the oral health system in the United States is fundamentally broken but can be fixed through a collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach.
Many of the grants support work to improve the public perception of oral health and provide families and individuals of all ages, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds with new ways to access care, manage their health, and connect with community resources.
Additional grants awarded fund advocacy efforts to support the integration of oral health within overall health and the inclusion of an adult dental benefit in Medicaid and Medicare. The first quarter grants include investments in the following areas:
- Emphasizing the importance of oral health to overall health
- Integrating oral health into person-centered healthcare by focusing on the adoption of healthcare models that improve outcomes and reduce costs
- Including an adult dental benefit in publicly funded health coverage
- Eradicating dental disease in children
- Incorporating oral health into the primary education system
DentaQuest believes these areas have the greatest potential for driving systems change, which is a top priority for the DentaQuest Partnership’s grantmaking strategy. The grants are in addition to the organization’s longstanding and significant infrastructure support for the Oral Health and Progress Equity Network, which includes more than 1,700 changemakers at the local, state, and national levels and its support of free dental clinic programs for underserved populations.
“Good health starts in your mouth, but too many people are left behind by the broken oral healthcare system, making Americans less healthy overall. We’re leading a revolution to redefine prevention and care, and our grants program is a critical piece of that work,” said Alison Corcoran, president of the DentaQuest partnership.
“Through our work with grantees, we can help address the real issues people all across the country face every day and change the way they interact with and experience the oral health system. Our many partners are driving this transformation at the local, state, and national levels in pursuit of our common mission to improve the oral health of all,” Corcoran said.
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