Our work

The health of your mouth affects your overall health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, too many people struggle with oral disease, even though it’s almost entirely preventable.

Our program designs work to make permanent changes to prevent oral disease and improve overall health.

We strive to make permanent changes to prevent oral disease and improve overall health.

So far, we’ve:

Reduced the number of low-income preschoolers with untreated tooth decay in half. Today, more than 50% of all Medicaid-enrolled children under age 6 see a dentist. Washington leads the country in these efforts.
Invested in community health centers and non-profit clinics adding 200,000 additional patient visits each year since 2006
Lead a coalition that secured dental coverage for more than 850,000 low-income adults in Washington
Trained 45% of physicians caring for young children to deliver oral health preventive services during well-child visits
Trained 30,000 paid caregivers to help their older clients care for their teeth and gums
Ensured an additional 287,000 people in Washington receive the health benefits of fluoridated water since 2001, saving families and taxpayers $41.8 million over 10 years

We’ve made significant progress, but we’re not done. We believe everyone deserves good oral and overall health. Our programs are designed to make that happen.