Blog

By Kelly Schroeder, RDH, MS, Evaluation Specialist, CareQuest Institute 

It’s essential to meet patients where they are — whether that means bringing a mobile clinic to their school or making an effort to understand their language.That was one theme from a recent webinar, “Advancing Equity in Hispanic and Latino Communities: Strategies to Integrate Compassionate Care,” from CareQuest Institute and the Hispanic Dental Association (HDA). The webinar, which drew nearly 500 learners, covered innovative approaches to serving Latino and Hispanic populations, leadership development within these communities, and the importance of cultural humility.

By Madison Vinson, MSHI, Data Engineer, and Caroline McLeod, RDH, MS, Value-Based Solutions Manager, CareQuest Institute

Thanos Zavras, DDS, MS, DMSc, knows that dentistry is not a one-size-fits-all treatment, especially for people with disabilities. “While the art and science of dentistry has made significant progress, along with major technological breakthroughs such as digital imaging, digital dentistry, and so much more,” he says, “access to dental care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) remains problematic.” 

For far too many people in this country, oral health care is too expensive and out of reach — even though we know it is critically important to overall health. And for far too long, despite strong support from voters, candidates and policymakers have consistently put “access to oral health” on the backburner. This election cycle, we need to change that. 

Ensuring children have access to oral health care is a local challenge in many parts of the country. “Maine has reached a low in access to care like we’ve never seen,” says Courtney Vannah, IDPH, MS, MPH, senior program manager at MCD Global Health, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people worldwide. “Children in Maine have long faced challenges in access to dental care within the traditional dental care delivery model.” 

By Caroline McLeod, MS, RDH, Value-Based Solutions Manager at CareQuest Institute, and Andrea Clark, MS, Director, Health Care Economics at CareQuest Institute al·ter·na·tive: of one or more things available as another possibility. Reusable water bottles as an alternative to single-use plastic bottles. Oat milk as an alternative to dairy milk. An electric toothbrush as an alternative to a manual toothbrush. 

In 2024, CareQuest Institute has awarded more than $8.3 million in grants to organizations that are helping underserved populations gain better access to oral health care. That work, core to CareQuest Institute’s DNA, is focused on the oral health system. Help, of course, is needed in other areas, too — in housing, in disease research, in community-based organizations that are committed to change. Every sector of society needs a boost. 

Robert MacArthur, DMD, is well aware of how a patient could feel uncomfortable sitting in a dental chair. “Dentistry is an extremely invasive profession,” MacArthur says. “It requires a lot of trust, and it’s really humbling when I put myself in the dental chair at least twice a year just for a regular cleaning. It’s good to be reminded of how invasive it can be.” 

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.