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Taiwo Ngo, DDS, has witnessed how medical-dental integration can help more people get the health care they need. “I had a patient — a child — that Dr. Obeto referred to me,” Ngo says. “And they didn’t call, and so I called [the child’s grandmother] to make the appointment.”

While most kids hated wearing braces in fifth grade, Alayna Schoblaske, DMD, was the exception. That was when she realized she wanted to be a dentist. “I haven’t turned back since,” she says. Schoblaske came from a family of engineers and teachers, so the idea of working with her hands while educating patients about their oral health felt like a great fit. And she was fascinated by the impact teeth could have on a person — which led her to her ultimate calling of community dentistry to help patients in underserved areas.

During Mental Health Awareness Month in May, the number of articles, stories, and reports about mental illnesses increases.

Tooth decay is often cited as the most common disease that can threaten a person’s oral health and overall health. It’s true, but it’s certainly not the only threat. The most common sexually transmitted infection in the US, human papillomavirus (HPV), also poses a serious risk.

Danica Loring says she’s seen her fair share of people in need of oral care at Penobscot Community Health Care (PCHC) in Bangor, Maine — and not just adults. “We live in an area where there is a mixed group of community members, and there is a high number of the lower-income community members,” says Loring, an expanded functions dental assistant and the dental practice director at PCHC. “And it saddens me to see when we have a teenager come into the dental center and their teeth are in desperate need of care.”

From roundtable discussions about applying silver diamine fluoride (SDF), to seminars highlighting the importance of expanding state Medicaid adult dental benefits, to connecting with attendees about the latest oral health research, CareQuest Institute will have a prominent presence at the National Oral Health Conference (NOHC). The 2023 conference is scheduled from Monday, April 17 to Wednesday, April 19 at the Double Tree by Hilton Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.

Rural populations face many barriers when it comes to accessing oral health care, including cost, transportation, distance, and availability of providers. Right now, 70 million people who live in the US, or one in five people, live in “dental deserts” — areas where no or very few dentists practice. Marcia Brand, former strategic advisor for CareQuest Institute, knows the struggles that these populations face well, through her own personal and professional experience.

By Kelly Schroeder, RDH, MS Are you one of the dentists or dental hygienists who have a professional license in more than one state? If so, you are aware of the significant challenges and roadblocks of obtaining a professional license in another state — regardless of your education or experience.

Indigenous communities face several barriers to accessing oral health care. For American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) families who live on tribal lands, often in rural areas, a shortage of dental providers is a common hurdle.

By Chelsea Chokas, MSM, Program Specialist, CareQuest Institute