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Jason Roush, DDS, realized early on in his career the importance of improving the oral health of all West Virginians. He started as a private practice dentist after graduating from the West Virginia University School of Dentistry in 1998, but he quickly started to look beyond the four walls of his office. “I thought I could have a bigger impact working in the state government in the West Virginia Oral Health Program than what I could in the private sector,” Roush says.

In 2009, in the wake of a major national recession, Hawai‘i — like many other states — grappled with the difficult decision on what to cut from its state budget. Unfortunately, non-emergency dental benefits for adults on Medicaid were on the “cut” list, leaving hundreds of thousands of adults in Hawai‘i without access to preventive and restorative dental care. More than a decade later, that reality is about to change.

Throughout 2022, leaders of all kinds, from across the oral health community, brought forth ideas and solutions to help improve oral health in the US. Those voices, each one, are essential to creating a system that is accessible, equitable, and integrated. 

Brush-on therapies have become a popular form of minimally invasive care in recent years. As an alternative to surgically managing caries, silver diamine fluoride (SDF), povidone iodine (PI), and non-staining peptide-guided enamel regeneration P11-4 offer patients and providers options that are often preferable to the “drill-and-fill” approach. Change, in this case, is happening quickly.

This past year was full of positive developments in the oral health system: expanded oral health coverage for millions of Americans, initiatives to advance medical-dental integration, and new codes that will

Advocates from the Maryland Dental Action Coalition joined Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (seated in glasses), Senate President Bill Ferguson (seated, center), and House Speaker Adrienne Jones (seated, far right) for the signing of

Most Americans may assume that thanks to their sacrifices, veterans have unfettered access to comprehensive health services. But that’s not the case, as Sarah A. Sherman learned when she became Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services (MBVS). The agency advocates for veterans and their families.

His colleagues, who were really friends, all used the same words when they shared memories of Dr. Mark Doherty: Generous. Compassionate. A champion for oral health. A forceful and unwavering advocate for oral health access for the underserved, Mark died on October 7 at age 75. He is survived by his wife (of 53 years) Deborah, two children, five grandchildren, and three siblings. Many of his colleagues at the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health came to know his family over the years.

Any journey, especially one as winding, complex, and meaningful as the journey toward value-based oral health care (VBOHC), starts the same way — with a step.

When Raydiance Swanston heard about the Community Oral Health Transformation (COrHT) program launching in North Carolina, she knew it was something Mecklenburg County Pediatric Clinic had to join.