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Whether it’s supporting coalitions that advocate for Medicaid adult dental benefit expansion or awarding funds to help organizations provide oral health care to patients with developmental differences, the CareQuest Institute Philanthropy team invests strategically to promote healthy communities and improve the

Nearly all Arizonans say oral health is important to them. But not all Arizonans have an easy time accessing care — especially those individuals without dental coverage. Arizona Medicaid adult dental benefits only cover emergencies and are capped at $1,000 with very few exceptions. For almost a decade, the Arizona Oral Health Coalition (AZOHC) has been working to change that and expand the Medicaid adult dental benefit in the state. Stories have been at the heart of that work — stories like Janessa’s. 

As a clinical assistant professor and dentist at the University of Florida (UF) College of Dentistry, Bryan Smallwood, DMD, MPH, CPH, has cared for thousands of patients. One in particular stands out to him. “I have a patient who had been to the operating room many times because other dentists couldn’t treat him,” Smallwood says. 

“Kira Johnson lost her life to the Black maternal health crisis not because she was unhealthy, uninsured, or unlucky, but because she was unheard,” said U.S. Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, who represents North Carolina’s 12th Congressional District. 

Happy National Dental Hygienist week! The second week of every April, we celebrate the outstanding, dedicated, and selfless work dental hygienists do — inside and outside of clinical settings — to improve the oral health system. 

Carolina Family Health Centers, Inc. has provided medical and dental care for patients in three North Carolina counties for years. But during that time, the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) was having trouble accessing a specific part of the population that needed oral health care — children. 

By Melissa Burroughs, Director, Public Policy, CareQuest Institute

CareQuest Institute is always seeking new voices representing historically marginalized communities to advance oral health. Through its philanthropic work, it partners with grassroots and community-based organizations that represent and engage those who are most directly impacted by oral health inequities. On March 13, the Institute is opening two new requests for proposals, looking to fund projects and partner with organizations that are: 

From 2005 to 2020, the percentage of US dentists who identify as Black has stayed around 3.8%. “The stagnant nature of this percentage should give us all pause,” said Eleanor Fleming, PhD, DDS, MPH. “This disparity is why having conversations like this around Black dentists, Black workforce, and issues related to the Black community are important for those of us who work in oral health.” 

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.