In the News

Community water fluoridation has been a cornerstone of public health for decades because it protects people across their lifespan — especially children and older adults who may not have regular dental visits or even access to basic oral hygiene products. In Missouri, as in other states, communities have recently revisited this issue. Branson and Houston have already removed fluoride in their water. Read the full story here.

Hugh J. Silk wishes he had a time machine. If he did, he’d go back to the year 1840 and persuade the staff at what is now the University of Maryland School of Medicine to accept a recommendation to include dental instruction in their curriculum. Instead, the medical school rejected the idea — and the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, the nation’s first dental school, was born. 

In the United Kingdom, reports of people resorting to DIY dentistry — pulling teeth at home, gluing broken fillings, or leaving cavities untreated — have become alarmingly common. A British Dental Association survey found 82% of UK dentists have treated patients who attempted self-care since lockdown, a pattern tied to access gaps and the rise of so-called “dental deserts”. 

A few months ago, Oklahoma officials removed the state’s recommendation for fluoride in drinking water as part of the "Make Oklahoma Healthy Again" campaign, which was announced alongside the U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But according to a recent report, ending community water fluoridation could come with a hefty cost. 

The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health has appointed Wade Rakes, MBA, as its new CEO to lead strategy, philanthropic investments, dental insurance services, and initiatives to improve access to care. Previously, Rakes served as chief growth officer at Centene Corporation and president and CEO of Peach State Health Plan. Additionally, he has held a cabinet-level position in Ohio and serves on multiple boards.

The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health has appointed Wade Rakes, MBA, as its new CEO to lead strategy, philanthropic investments, dental insurance services, and initiatives to improve access to care. Previously, Rakes served as chief growth officer at Centene Corporation and president and CEO of Peach State Health Plan. Additionally, he has held a cabinet-level position in Ohio and serves on multiple boards.

Armed with new data that show nearly $1 billion was spent on dental emergency room and hospital charges in 2024, a wide coalition of health care advocates is pushing the Legislature to approve a new mid-level dental health care provider known as dental therapists. 

The state of your gums and teeth can impact your risk for various health conditions—and vice-versa. Here’s how to protect yourself. Our oral health care is under attack. Whether it’s bans on fluoride in public water, cuts to Medicaid, or the elimination of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s entire Division of Oral Health, experts are sounding an alarm that America’s oral health is facing a number of threats on several fronts.

The state of your gums and teeth can impact your risk for various health conditions—and vice-versa. Here’s how to protect yourself. Our oral health care is under attack. 

The state of your gums and teeth can impact your risk for various health conditions—and vice-versa. Here’s how to protect yourself. Our oral health care is under attack. Whether it’s bans on fluoride in public water, cuts to Medicaid, or the elimination of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s entire Division of Oral Health, experts are sounding an alarm that America’s oral health is facing a number of threats on several fronts.