Virginia Health Care Foundation

Local, state, and federal policymakers are discussing improvements to the dental care system. Consult the resources below for pertinent policy briefs and tips on influencing policy.

Moving on the Oral Health Provisions in Health Reform: A Roadmap for Implementation This comprehensive white paper reviews the dental provisions of the Affordable Care Act and provides a strategy for implementation. It was written in response to inquiries made by Congressional staff and made possible by a grant from the DentaQuest Foundation to the Children’s Dental Health Project.

Tooth Talk Tips – Contacting a legislator This document outlines three ways to contact your representative: writing a letter, sending an email, and calling your elected official.

The dental public health infrastructure: Failing to meet the needs of the underserved (2009) By the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors, this issue brief outlines four recommendations for improving the dental public health system.

Engaging primary care medical providers in children’s oral health (2009) This report overviews dental care programs across states, focusing on initiatives utilizing primary care providers.

Help wanted: A policy maker’s guide to new dental providers (2009) In an effort to assist policymakers with identifying new dental providers, this report reviews recent literature and expert proposals.

The U.S. Oral Health Workforce in the Coming Decade – Workshop Summary This report from the February 2009 Conference summarizes the workshop’s discussions surrounding the current situation, potential strategies, and stakeholder involvement in improving access to oral health services.

The redesign of primary care and implications for training: 8th annual report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and to the U.S. Congress (2010) This report presents discussions and recommendations for health care workforce programs and federal policies.