December 16, 2015
The CDA is pleased to announce its newest program, Dental Health Matters. In an effort to help underserved communities and populations, this program will draw together all of the CDA’s efforts to advance the oral health of Coloradans. The CDA already has undertaken measures in pursuit of greater access to dental care as well as to enhance our profession’s profile as a force in shaping sensible public policy:
• For years, the CDA has been working with Colorado’s rural communities and hospitals to expand access to quality dental care and to integrate it into overall healthcare. We have worked with rural healthcare providers to identify and refer patients in need of oral care so they do not have to resort to costly emergency-room visits for issues that warrant early intervention by dental professionals.
• We also have expanded access to dental care for our state’s Medicaid population—both for children and for adults. The “Take Five” program has provided a platform to our members to take a new look at this at-risk population and to connect with them as never before.
• We have served as a longtime advocate for community water fluoridation, particularly in rural Colorado, attesting to its benefits in improving lifelong oral health.
Dental Health Matters will allow the CDA’s members, stakeholders and the public to better engage in discussions about dental health issues. It will empower the CDA to communicate the association’s efforts with fellow oral and public health partners and stakeholders, policymakers, media and the general public. It will provide an umbrella to convene public conversation and action on dental care.
To ensure Dental Health Matters has a positive effect, we need our members to take an active role. Follow Dental Health Matters on Facebook and Twitter and engage by commenting, sharing and posting your experiences with dental health access.