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Our Work

Change agents often work to alleviate immediate distress, but they also recognize that social progress comes only from tackling problems at their roots. That will likely require multiple interventions, mobilized strategically over time. Isolating root causes, understanding their contributions to complex social problems, and designing effective solutions is hard work. It requires evidence, intuition, vision, and leadership. Making headway also requires the flexibility to seize opportunities as they arise and the freedom to stay on mission, while at the same time being accountable to those providing support.

Lauren LeRoy, Executive Director,
Grantmakers in Health (2006)

Oral health is an integral part of overall health. Good oral health is influenced by a number of factors including beliefs, culture, social and economic conditions, and physical environment. The DentaQuest Foundation works in collaboration with local, state, and national partners, to reduce health inequities, highlight prevention, foster civic engagement, and influence systems that promote oral health beyond the clinical setting.

What we do is make grants and support programs that improve oral health policy, access to care, public and private funding for oral health, and community-based prevention. How we do it is apply the guidance of the U.S. Surgeon General's Call to Action on Oral Health to change perceptions of oral health, increase partnerships and collaborations, and replicate programs that are demonstrating effective change.