GRANT00185

The Virginia Oral Health Coalition (VOHC) will be the lead convener of an alliance that will create a roadmap for policy, education, and practice solutions to address the severe statewide oral health access issues, with a focus on increased collaboration among medical and dental professionals to expand the number and types of medical professionals providing oral health services throughout the state. The result of the proposed project is a system wide change in the way medical and dental providers collaborate to provide care so that Virginians have increased access to oral health information, screening, prevention activities, and referrals. VOHC envisions integration of the Smiles for Life curriculum in schools of health professions throughout the Commonwealth; implementation of medical dental collaborative practice models in clinics across the state; and programs and legislation that support medical and dental collaboration in practice and education.