Blog
Explore our blog to find the stories, perspectives, and ideas that paint a picture of progress and change in oral health.
Voices from the Field: Julie Seward on Advancing Oral Health in AI/AN Communities
Indigenous communities face several barriers to accessing oral health care. For American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) families who live on...
Veterans Deserve Access to Affordable, Quality Oral Health Care
A 70-year-old veteran living in Arizona making less than $30,000 a year who was forced to receive dental care in Mexico but was unable to update...
Five Oral Health Challenges Facing American Indian/Alaska Native Communities
The oral health disparities American Indian (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) communities face can be traced back to the 15th century — when European...
Transforming Community Health: Incorporating Social Determinants in a Dental Setting
Elly Steel, DMD, MPH, says she and her colleagues at Cabarrus Health Alliance can easily identify the factors in their patients’ lives that...
How We Can Advance Oral Health Equity
The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately harmed Black, Hispanic, and other people of color, sparking renewed attention on America’s oral health...
Applied Learning: Hygienist Puts Brush-On Education to Use
Trinity Cleveland, RDH, was volunteering at the Arizona Dental Mission of Mercy (AZMOM), an annual two-day event that provides dental services to...
Five Ways to Improve the Oral Health of Medicaid-Enrolled Children
Early oral health care is essential for all children. So, it’s good news that Medicaid mandates comprehensive dental coverage for enrolled...
Voices from the Field: Dr. Donna Balaski on Strengthening Connecticut Medicaid Adult Dental Benefits
Since 2010, Donna Balaski, DMD, has voiced the importance of periodontal coverage for adults on Medicaid in Connecticut. “By failing to treat...
‘More People Have Access to Oral Health Services’: How West Virginia Is Using the Medicaid Adult Dental Coverage Checker
Jason Roush, DDS, realized early on in his career the importance of improving the oral health of all West Virginians. He started as a private...
A Decade in the Making: How Hawai‘i Oral Health Advocates Reinstated Adult Dental Coverage
In 2009, in the wake of a major national recession, Hawai‘i — like many other states — grappled with the difficult decision on what to cut from...
10 Quotes from 2022 about the Future of the Oral Health System
Throughout 2022, leaders of all kinds, from across the oral health community, brought forth ideas and solutions to help improve oral health in...
19 Questions (and Answers) about Brush-On Dental Therapies 
Brush-on therapies have become a popular form of minimally invasive care in recent years. As an alternative to surgically managing caries, silver...