January 21, 2010, Chicago, IL—Oral Health America (OHA) is honored be the recipient of a $145,000 DentaQuest Foundation grant award for the development of OHA’s Wisdom Tooth Project, which seeks to change the lives of older adults who are especially vulnerable to oral disease. The award supports one of OHA’s five Wisdom Tooth Project strategies: a communications campaign for older adults, caregivers, and medical and dental professionals interested in the oral and overall health of our country’s growing older adult population.
“Thank you to the DentaQuest Foundation for this big step forward for older adult oral health care,” said Beth Truett, President and CEO, Oral Health America. “Oral Health America is committed to making this project beneficial for the oral health community, and many other stakeholders and caregivers that are dedicated to caring for older adults.”
In the first year of the project, OHA will convene stakeholder groups in a strategy to develop an on-line community, or web portal. With project partners, OHA will develop online content priorities and key messages, assess target audiences, and devise a shared leadership model for the portal’s development and management.
“Both Oral Health America and the DentaQuest Foundation recognize that the good oral health of older Americans is reflected in their total health and quality of life,” said Ralph Fuccillo, President, DentaQuest Foundation. “The DentaQuest Foundation is working to promote a community-based approach to be sure there are multiple points of contact for patients and caregivers to get the information and education they need.”
The DentaQuest Foundation previously supported OHA’s Medical Dental Dialogues, enabling the organization to disseminate the proceedings of Collaborative Health Care for Older Adults, a symposium held at the New York Academy of Sciences.
Oral Health America is the nation’s leading, independent non-profit organization dedicated to connecting communities with resources to increase access to care, education, and advocacy for all Americans, especially those most vulnerable. Find out more at www.oralhealthamerica.org.
The DentaQuest Foundation is committed to optimal oral health for all Americans through its support of prevention and access to affordable care, and through its partnerships with funders, policymakers and community leaders. For more information, please visit dentaquestfoundation.org.
