How to Advocate for Oral Health During the 2024 Election Season

Last month, the Oral Health Progress and Equity Network (OPEN) brought together 170 oral health advocates to discuss how to engage with candidates and the media this election season and raise oral health as a key issue. Experts in advocacy, community engagement, and media shared their insights and tips with attendees at the 2024 OPEN Advocacy Assembly. 

“It’s tough to find an issue like this in today’s America that has broad popularity,” said Peter Mitchell, chief insights officer at Marketing for Change. 

Mitchell shared new national voter poll results that showed strong support across the political spectrum for dental coverage in Medicare, Medicaid, and for veterans: 

• 9 in 10 voters nationwide support adding a dental benefit to Medicare. 
• 9 in 10 voters want expanded dental coverage for veterans. 
• 3 in 4 voters support adding adult dental benefits to Medicaid. 

What’s next? As we look ahead to this fall’s elections, how do we keep the spotlight on the importance of oral health? Experts had plenty of valuable advice: 

• Roy Miller, founder and president of American Children’s Campaign, shared his 50/50 rule for written materials to leave behind with your legislative candidates: At least half the space should be dedicated to compelling images. Use pictures and stories to build emotion. Strong polling data is an asset, but it’s equally important to get human stories to legislators, he added. 
• Maya Goldman, health care reporter for Axios, noted that doing a little research on a reporter increases the chances your story will get picked up by media outlets. Find out what they’ve been writing about, she added, and make sure you’re aligned. Reach out to the reporter through email first and keep it short — just a couple of bullet points. The first bullet point should be why the story matters. 

Additional advice on sharpening your advocacy skills included the following: 

• Center on the issue. 
• Talk to all candidates — not just one political party. 
• Be confident. Remember, you know more about your issue than the person you’re talking to. 
• August is the perfect time to reach out to your candidates. During the Congressional recess, candidates are more likely to hit the campaign trail, host events, and engage on social media. 

Visit OPEN’s Take Action Center to find tools to help you advocate for oral health this election season. 

Unsure if oral health is on your candidate’s agenda? 

“Oral health is a conversation that can be had in every state because all House seats are open,” said Bailey Reavis, manager of federal relations at Families USA. “Now is the time to help new members set their agenda and build champions for oral health.” 

Javier Morales, executive director of the Praxis Project, emphasized getting communities to the table as early as possible and asking for their help: “We have to work as a collective and coalition to be able to match the power that industry has.” 

About the Oral Health Progress and Equity Network (OPEN) 

OPEN, an initiative of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, is a diverse network of individuals and entities who are taking on America’s oral health challenges so that everyone has a chance to thrive. OPEN members use their unique experiences, knowledge, and skills to lead network activities every year, creating collective energy that is driving large-scale change.