There are significant racial disparities in oral health outcomes, mirroring overall health disparities. Funders and grantmakers have the opportunity to support systemic redesign of the oral health system in a way that contributes to reducing these disparities.
This article describes grantmaking efforts of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health (which formerly funded grants as the DentaQuest Partnership for Oral Health Advancement). Through its 2020 request for proposals process, CareQuest Institute invested more than $3.5 million across 27 states to support deep community partnerships, policy and regulatory change, and transformation within the dental safety net. Investments include:
- Emerging, innovative, and not-yet-tested models of care
- Convening diverse, multidisciplinary partners
- Supporting new voices, especially those in communities of color or that have been historically excluded
The article also describes some of the specific partnerships that CareQuest Institute forged and the initiatives grantees implemented.
You may also be interested in:
- Medicaid Adult Dental Benefit Toolkit for Advocates, a toolkit designed to help advocates educate policymakers and other stakeholders to not only preserve Medicaid adult dental benefits but expand them as well.
- Equity and Community Engagement in Statewide Oral Health Policy Advocacy, a report provides a roadmap — including key data and recommendations — that will help build partnerships that promote sustainable, equity-informed, community-driven advocacy.
- CareQuest Institute’s grant application process.