Blog

By Caroline McLeod, MS, RDH, Value-Based Solutions Manager at CareQuest Institute 

By Kaz Rafia, DDS, MBA, MPH, Chief Dental Officer and Executive Vice President of Health Equity, CareQuest Institute As we began creating self-paced courses for CareQuest Institute, we took a closer look at terminology in oral health care — terms like “value-based payment,” “fee-for-service,” “interoperability,” and “care coordination.” One phrase continued to give us pause and generate thoughtful discussion: social determinants of health. 

“If they had a job, they could get real insurance and afford to get their teeth fixed.” “People are lazy if they have state insurance. They’re not as educated as others.” “Anyone could go to the dentist if they wanted to. They are choosing not to or not prioritizing it.” These are common perceptions about patients who struggle to access oral health care — a frequent topic during Wisconsin Medical-Dental Integration (MDI) Advisory Council quarterly meetings. 

By Wai-Sum Leung, MS, RDH, and Stephanie Clester, MA, RDH As dental professionals and health care providers, we should recognize that every patient is unique in their care needs and will have specialized, unequal, treatment plans. In other words, dental clinics should promote health equity. 

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

By Lisa J. Heaton, PhD, and Paige Martin, BA, science writers at CareQuest Institute 

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. 

Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) has existed for more than 20 years. But many oral health providers may be unfamiliar with why or how to use it. 

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.”