Everyone deserves to enjoy the benefits of good oral health.

We create a more equitable community for all by supporting efforts that expand access to preventive oral health care, timely dental treatments, and health measures like water fluoridation for everyone in Washington state. Access to preventive dental care and effective public health strategies like water fluoridation moves Washington state closer toward a place where children can grow up cavity-free, where untreated decay and deferred care are outliers, and senior citizens retain more of their natural teeth regardless of social determinants like geography, ethnicity, or income.

Oral Health Watch supports programs and policies to reduce health inequities and improve oral health for all. This includes supporting oral health investments that boost access to preventive care and policies that ensure preventive measures are available to everyone, saving money and sparing people from needless pain. Striving toward oral health equity undoubtedly is sound health policy; it’s also right.

Advancing a healthier Washington through improved oral health is at the heart of our advocacy work. Oral Health Watch supports efforts that will enhance access to care and make meaningful progress in ensuring everyone has an opportunity to reach their full health potential. These endeavors include:

• Maintaining investments in Washington state’s Apple Health (Medicaid) dental program to ensure lower-income children and adults have access to preventive oral health care and timely dental treatments.
• Championing water fluoridation and helping more communities provide residents access to this celebrated public health measure that benefits everyone regardless of age and income level.
• Supporting capital investments at community health centers to increase capacity so more people in historically underinvested communities can get the care they need.