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Katanta Simwanza, DDS, knows what it’s like to not have access to oral health care. “Growing up, I was surrounded by a high prevalence of dental diseases within my community where oral health services were scarce,” Simwanza says. “I, and many other children and elders alike, personally experienced the pain of dental abscesses and oral health diseases.” These experiences growing up in Tanzania pointed him toward pursuing a career in health — specifically oral health. 

Early in his career, Bill Milner, DDS, MPH, realized that special populations — especially people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the elderly — are often left behind when it comes to accessing oral health care. “There has been a gap in services in dentistry that we knew back in the 1980s had to be filled,” says Milner. “Dentistry had no answer for folks that we now serve. We thought, ‘Why not provide the same quality care to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities or the elderly, who may not be able to afford it?’” 

A particular moment stands out to Sarah Bedard Holland, the CEO of Virginia Health Catalyst, as when she realized she wanted to work in health care: “When I was in high school, someone who was very close to me was diagnosed with AIDS, and I had the opportunity to see firsthand how my community reacted to that,” Bedard Holland says. “I saw how the health care system responded to him, his diagnosis, and ultimate death. . . . I think it was that general injustice and inequity that really cemented for me that there was an opportunity to change things.” 

Raydiance Swanston, MPH, CHES, Mecklenburg County Pediatric ClinicIn late 2022, Raydiance Swanston, MPH, CHES, was eager to bring the Community Oral Health Transformation (COrHT) program to the Mecklenburg County Pediatric Clinic in North Carolina.

As part of his role to advance the integration of oral health and overall health, CareQuest Institute Chief Health Equity Officer Kaz Rafia, DDS, MBA, MPH, is always trying to find exemplars. He seeks models and individuals that are focused on the community and on finding innovative ways to improve the system.

On a warm Saturday in November, dozens of vendors lined Dunkin’ Park in Hartford, Connecticut, for the Get Out the Vote Health Fair, where visitors could find information on health care resources and connect with community partners. One of those booths belonged to the Connecticut Oral Health Initiative (COHI) — an organization that advocates for oral health access, quality, and equity in the state.

As Operations and Policy Analyst I at the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Vesna Hopkins has the goal of helping Oregonians get better access to oral health care.“As a dental analyst, my boss says, ‘Challenge me. Give me ideas. Tell me how do you want to improve dental health for Oregonians, and let’s talk about it,’” Hopkins says. “So, I’m in a position to have the freedom to simply say, ‘It’s my educated opinion that Oregonians need help in dental here or here.’”

Oral health is often viewed in isolation, yet its impact extends far beyond the mouth. Oral health can hurt the heart. Emerging research has established a concerning link between oral health and heart issues. Gum disease, for example, can trigger cardiovascular problems and increase the risk of having a heart attack. Tooth decay and other oral infections in childhood can contribute to atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) in adulthood.

The prevalence of early childhood caries in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities is three times higher than for white children. Black and AI/AN women are 2.9 and 2.5 times more likely, respectively, to die from pregnancy-related causes than non-Hispanic white women. There is growing evidence that individuals who use electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are at a higher risk for dental caries. These are just a few key findings from three of the most popular CareQuest Institute research reports published in 2023.

Jennifer Harris, the senior health policy advocate at Alabama Arise, says no day is the same at her job. “You may have someone that’s working over here to reduce tooth decay in school-age children, and then you may have someone in another part of the state that is looking at the accessibility for someone who’s disabled to be seen by a provider,” Harris says. “What I’m doing is creating a network where we can bring all our work together to really make strides in access when it comes to oral health.”