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