Dental Hub and Spoke Project Links Kansans in Underserved Areas to Dental Care
Kansas, like many states with a vast rural geography, has substantial areas with little or no access to oral health services. Studies of the Kansas dental workforce show 93 of 105 counties do not have enough dentists to serve their population.
Integrating Primary Care and Public Health: Opportunities for Oral Health
As health philanthropy considers how to address the current individual and community burdens of increases in chronic diseases, I am optimistic when I reflect on the new and promising collaborations that are developing to better manage and prevent oral disease.
Making the Connection: Pregnancy and Oral Health
Recent research indicates that efforts to support oral health can begin even before birth; just as a pregnant woman’s overall health can affect the health of her pregnancy and baby, her oral health can play a role in the occurrence of early childhood caries in her children.
Giving Voice to Oral Health in Kansas: Benefits of Long-Term Commitment
Someone recently used the term philanthropy du jour,
and it was not meant as a positive appellation. As a field,
we increasingly see longevity as virtue whether it comes
under the guise of general operating support, capacity building, or place-based or strategic grantmaking. The work of the
United Methodist Health Ministry Fund in a single field –
oral health – began in late 1998. My reflections attempt to
capture the results of this extended $11-million initiative.
Foundation Collaboration: Partnering to Improve Young Children’s Oral Health
Dental disease is the single most common chronic childhood disease and is so widespread and the health effects so significant that the U.S. Surgeon General has classified dental disease as a silent epidemic (HHS 2000).