DentaQuest strengthens Oral Health

The DentaQuest Foundation has awarded $432,064 in grants to organizations throughout Maryland as part a major investment to improve oral health access, services, literacy, and awareness for children and families in the state.

To read more about the DentaQuest Foundation, go to DentaQuest Foundation.

Tooth decay is nearly 100% with proper care, but remains the most common chronic disease affecting children today. More than one-third of Maryland kindergarteners and third graders had untreated decay in their primary teeth, while more than 70 percent of children in the state’s Medicaid program, which disproportionately covers underserved populations, have never even seen a dentist, according to a 2007 survey by the Maryland Family Health Administration.

The Foundation awarded four grants totaling $432,064 in Maryland, among them: $219, 626 to the University of Maryland Dental School to fund a program that ensures Maryland Medicaid children receive appropriate and consistent dental care; $166,742 to MSDA Educational and Charitable Foundation: Maryland Dental Action Coalition to support the transition of the Maryland Dental Action Committee into sustainable statewide oral health coalition—the Maryland Dental Action Coalition; and $35,696 to support the Maryland Oral Health Heroes Celebration which supports the Maryland Dental Action Coalition and its ongoing work to keep Maryland focused on oral health for all.

Together, these grants support a long-term, multi-faceted strategy to raise oral health awareness throughout the state and improve access by providing needed technical assistance to safety net providers who serve Maryland’s underinsured populations.

“Progress in addressing oral health disparities requires the support and engagement of the entire community,” explained Ralph Fuccillo, DentaQuest Foundation president.. "Equipped with effective tools and knowledge, community leaders, parents, health care providers, educators and the general public can more easily tackle oral health problems. We applaud the statewide response to gaps in access and feel certain that these grants will further Maryland’s statewide efforts to improve oral health.”

These grants support the mission of the DentaQuest Foundation to strengthen community initiatives and strategies, to strengthen the dental care safety net, and to increase access to care for vulnerable children and their families.

For more information, visit dentaquestfoundation.org.

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