The oral health disparities American Indian (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) communities face can be traced back to the 15th century — when European settlers arrived in North America.

Fast forward several hundred years, and AI/AN communities continue to battle striking inequities.

The oral health disparities American Indian (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) communities face can be directly linked to colonization. Several centuries later, striking and alarming inequities persist and are calling out for solutions.  

Elly Steel, DMD, MPH, says she and her colleagues at Cabarrus Health Alliance can easily identify the factors in their patients’ lives that affect their health just by observing and listening.

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately harmed Black, Hispanic, and other people of color, sparking renewed attention on America’s oral health disparities. While some communities face higher hurdles to good oral health than others, promising solutions exist to achieve greater equity. Policy and health care leaders can do more to advance equitable access to services, including in dental care.

Every year, CareQuest Institute awards more than $14 million in grants rooted in its commitment to health equity and the intentional engagement of communities most often harmed by the existing oral health system. How does that funding make a difference? How do grantees drive change in their communities?  

CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, in collaboration with the American Public Health Association (APHA) Oral Health Section, presents a webinar that explores a mix of topics, including geriatric dental care, alternative payment mechanisms, the impact of paid sick leave on dental care, and dental disparities among working adults. Four winners of the Anthony Westwater Jong Population Oral Health Pre-Professional Award and the Caswell A. Evans Population Oral Health Post-Professional Award from APHA will share short presentations on these important population health-themed topics.  

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.