DentaQuest OHA

Jan. 27, 2011
Grant made to OHA's Wisdom Tooth Project for older adults.

CHICAGO, Illinois—Oral Health America is a recipient of a $145,000 DentaQuest Foundation grant award for the development of OHA’s Wisdom Tooth Project.

To read more about DentaQuest, go to DentaQuest.

The project seeks to change the lives of older adults who are especially vulnerable to oral disease. The award supports one of OHA’s five Wisdom Tooth Project strategies: a communications campaign for older adults, caregivers, and medical and dental professionals interested in the oral and overall health of the country’s growing older adult population.

“Thank you to the DentaQuest Foundation for this big step forward for older adult oral health care,” said Beth Truett, president and CEO, Oral Health America. “Oral Health America is committed to making this project beneficial for the oral health community, and many other stakeholders and caregivers that are dedicated to caring for older adults.”

In the first year of the project, OHA will convene stakeholder groups in a strategy to develop an online community or web portal. With project partners, OHA will develop online content priorities and key messages, assess target audiences, and devise a shared leadership model for the portal’s development and management.

“Both Oral Health America and the DentaQuest Foundation recognize that the good oral health of older Americans is reflected in their total health and quality of life,” said Ralph Fuccillo, president, DentaQuest Foundation. “The DentaQuest Foundation is working to promote a community-based approach to be sure there are multiple points of contact for patients and caregivers to get the information and education they need.”

The DentaQuest Foundation previously supported OHA’s Medical Dental Dialogues, enabling the organization to disseminate the proceedings of Collaborative Health Care for Older Adults--a symposium held at the New York Academy of Sciences.

Find out more about OHA at www.oralhealthamerica.org.

For more information about DentaQuest, visit dentaquestfoundation.org.

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