Healthy Teeth for Kansans

Kansas can celebrate significant advances in oral health since the Health Fund first began funding in this area in 1998. Health Fund President Kim Moore said there have been vast improvements in oral health and a significant increase in the acceptance of oral health as a health issue since the Fund launched its Healthy Teeth for Kansans initiative over a decade ago.

Reflecting on the changes during those years, Moore recalled the beginning of the oral health effort when much of the Kansas interest and advocacy concerning oral health, outside of oral health professionals, was centered in the Health Fund and an advisory committee it formed. "It is encouraging to see how much has changed. Now we have the Bureau of Oral Health at the Kansas Department of Health & Environment to provide leadership, and advocacy is well-established through the Oral Health Kansas coalition. Oral health is in good hands in Kansas and I know it will continue to progress," Moore said.

In late 2009, Health Fund Trustees completed a year-long strategic planning process which identified access to health care, healthy lifestyles, and children's mental health as the focus for grant allocations over the next three years. Addressing the challenges of weighing one health issue against another in determining where to concentrate the foundation's limited resources, Moore said "It is very difficult, and comes down to assessing the potential for doing the most good with the dollars we have to invest. Our Trustees decided the emphasis should be on access to health care, healthy lifestyles, and mental health for young children. But our transition from oral health funding will be done slowly and with consideration for what yet needs to be accomplished."

Although the Fund will continue to help sustain efforts increasing access to dental care, particularly with workforce issues, no new oral health initiatives will be developed under the 2010-2012 strategic plan.

Advances since 1998 include reestablishment of an Office of Oral Health inside the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, formation of an effective statewide oral health coalition (Oral Health Kansas), integration of prevention and screenings into many social services and medical practices, ten more communities offering water fluoridation, greater capacity for oral health services in low-income clinics, and expanded practice for dental hygienists in public health.

Even with all of this positive direction, the annual Kansas Mission of Mercy free dental clinic, long waiting lists at many low-income clinics for dental services, and desperate calls from people in pain remind us that oral health remains a health issue for thousands of Kansans.

A news release with additional background information is available here.