Important
Dates & Deadlines
November 8-10, 2011
Oral Health 2014 Partner Gathering.
Hotel Palomar, Washington, D.C.
June 14, 2012
Applications invited for Year 1-Implementation Grant
August 15, 2012 (3 p.m. ET)
Deadline to submit proposals for Year 1-Implementation Grant
Contacts
Matthew Bond
Programs and Grants Associate 617.886.1599
matthew.bond@dentaquestfoundation.org
Patrick Finnerty
Senior Advisor, State Oral Health Programs
pat.finnerty@dentaquestfoundation.org
Carmen Fields
Associate Director for National Programs 617.886.1344
carmen.fields@dentaquestfoundation.org
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The Oral Health 2014 Initiative
Millions of Americans are not receiving needed dental care services because of "persistent and systemic" barriers that limit their access to oral health care. 33.3 million Americans live in an area with a shortage of dental professionals. Nearly 5 million children went without regular dental checkups in 2008 because of financial limitations1.
The multi-year Oral Health 2014 Initiative aims to eliminate such disparities by supporting selected state organizations who are building community partnerships to address root causes of inadequate access to oral health care. The Oral Health 2014 Initiative is advancing local leaders for national impact.
Each Oral Health 2014 organization is engaging current and new partners and community leaders in their states and involving them in developing an oral health action plan. Their plans will address one or more of six oral health improvement areas identified by oral health stakeholders at a 2009 national meeting on access to care:
1) Prevention strategies that strengthen the public dental health infrastructure
2) Culturally competent tools and campaigns to increase oral health literacy
3) Medical/dental collaboration that expands the number and types of health professionals providing preventive oral health services
4) Developing a robust system of objective and reliable measurements for improving oral health
5) Financing models that promote optimal oral health through disease management and prevention
6) Strengthening the dental care delivery system with incentives and national evaluation standards and regulations that promote oral health and well-trained-diverse dental providers.
 | The DentaQuest Foundation will provide financial and technical assistance to support them in achieving their goals. After one year, the DentaQuest Foundation will review the plans developed by each organization, and select up to 17 for two years of funding to implement these plans. The work of the Oral Health 2014 organizations mirrors the mission of the U.S. National Oral Health Alliance (Alliance) which is tackling the same oral health priorities at the national level. The Alliance, like the Oral Health 2014 partners, is focused on forging common ground and engaging national leaders across care, financing, policy and community for improved oral health for vulnerable people. 1 Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations, Committee on Oral Health Access to Services; Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, The National Academies Press, 2011. http://www.nap.edu |
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