In the News

The American Dental Association (ADA) celebrates Children’s Dental Health Month in February. What started in 1941 as a single day morphed into an entire month by 1981. And judging by the stats, that might not be enough. The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health reports that “early childhood caries remains the most common, preventable infectious disease among children in the United States.”

In this captivating episode, Myechia Minter-Jordan, President and CEO of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, opens up about the interconnectedness of oral health and overall wellness and shines a light on the communities often overlooked in the healthcare system.

"CareQuest Institute for Oral Health has allocated $1.25 million in funding to 10 organizations to address systemic barriers to oral health for people with disabilities."

"In the US, TACHC worked with the non-profit CareQuest Institute for Oral Health to create an online course for dental professionals on trauma-informed oral healthcare. This was made available in April 2023."

"US adults lose some 243 million hours of productivity annually to oral health issues, with those with lower-paying and hourly jobs more likely to lose more work hours due to either their own or someone else’s unplanned dental visit. Among the key findings in a new report by CareQuest Institute on lost productivity and dental issues is the high cost of such missed productivity in the US: an estimated $45 billion annually."

"Kansas joins several states nationwide in taking crucial steps toward increasing access to oral health care. According to CareQuest Institute for Oral Health’s recently updated Medicaid Adult Dental Coverage Checker, which highlights the progress advocates and policymakers have made to strengthen adult dental coverage in the past few years, eight states now offer extensive Medicaid adult dental benefits."

"Access to oral health should not be a luxury reserved only for some. It is a fundamental right that must be extended to every American, regardless of their background or zip code."

"To treat people as a whole, we need to bridge the gaps between oral and overall health systems and start integrating medical and dental care, including better integrating electronic health records so dentists and primary care providers can share and access pertinent patient information."

"Utah joins several states nationwide in taking crucial steps toward increasing access to oral health care. According to CareQuest Institute for Oral Health’s recently updated Medicaid Adult Dental Coverage Checker, which highlights the progress advocates and policymakers have made to expand adult dental benefits in the past few years, eight states now offer an extensive Medicaid adult dental benefit. That’s double the four states that boasted this in 2020."

"Oral health is a fundamental component of overall well-being; however, disparities persist among marginalized populations, including the LGBTQ+ community. Many LGBTQ+ individuals face health disparities linked to societal stigma and discrimination that equate to a denial of their civil and human rights."