About

A Generation of Difference

The Washington State Oral Health Coalition is a volunteer-led, broad-based partnership dedicated to improving oral health for all Washington residents through community engagement, advocacy and working with state and local leaders to support health policies that expand access to preventive health measures and accessible care. Members consist of health professionals, academic institutions, state and local agencies, and advocacy organizations working toward improving oral health care access for children, adults and senior citizens.

WSOHC priorities

Advancing the revised communications strategy and platform to support engagement with coalition members and growth of the coalition.
Increasing WSOHC membership and engagement to enact and amplify the call for improved access to dental care and preventive oral health measures for all Washington residents.
Work with local and state stakeholders to support and maintain proven-effect health policies. This includes:
- Community Water Fluoridation
- State investments in the Apple Health (Washington State’s Medicaid program) dental program.
- Efforts to expand the dental care workforce to meet the community’s needs.

WSOCH Policy Statements

We support:

Community Water Fluoridation
State investments in the Apple Health (Washington State’s Medicaid program) dental program.
Place-based care delivery, like school-based programs, and nursing homes.
Minimally invasive dental care that supports prevention and early intervention

Current activities

Build and expand Washington State Oral Health Coalition membership.
Working with cities and water systems to maintain community water fluoridation.
Continued advocacy at the state level for oral health iniatitives and investments

History

The Washington State Oral Health Coalition (WSOHC) began when two people passionate about helping children live healthier lives struck up a conversation. WSOHC sprouted at a picnic table behind the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) in 1992 as Beth Hines of DOH and Suzanne Peterson of Seattle Children’s discussed how far too many kids waited for emergency dental care at Seattle Children’s.

Beth and Suzanne agreed to meet again and invite others, including Dr. Peter Domoto, Dr. Maxine Hayes and other stakeholders to start a statewide advocacy organization focused on oral health matters for people of all ages. Founding members included organizations with diverse interests like state and local government, academia, community health centers, and health advocates.

Since that conversation on a picnic bench more than 20 years ago, the WSOHC has good reason to smile. WSOHC continues its oral health-focused work with an emphasis on championing policies that improve dental care access and health measures that advance health equity throughout the state.

WSOHC accomplishments include:

Assistance with the State Department of Health’s “Smile Survey” assessment of school children in 1992.
Assistance with the University of Washington county-based third grade oral health survey in 1993.The data from these surveys has provided the basis for much of the work the coalition has undertaken over the past 10 years. Among its accomplishments: Issue papers published on the benefits of fluoridation and dental sealants.
Support for successful Snohomish, Everett, and City of Yakima fluoridation campaigns.
Successful collaboration between private and public partners on health care reform issues before the Health Services Commission.
Successful partnership with DSHS resulting in raising Medicaid reimbursement rates for children’s dental services of $42 million.
Statewide consensus conference that formulated recommendations on dental delivery systems, surveillance, education, and research.
Provision of information and recommendations from diverse perspectives for the legislature’s Joint Select Committee on Dental Access convened to improve access to dental care.
Partnership with DOH resulting in oral health recommendations to the Public Health Improvement Plan.
Partnership with DOH and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction resulting in the “Tooth Tutor,” an oral health school curriculum for school nurses which became a national model for outreach oral health education.
WSOHC sub committee input to the state School Based Sealant Guidelines produced by the Department of Health, a national model.
Partnership with DOH and a federal Community Integrated Service Systems (CISS) grant to support the creation of local oral health coalitions and an annual conference, “Community Roots for Oral Health,” a national model. Thirteen local oral health coalitions were formed,and the Roots listserv was created.
Collaboration with ABCD, Access to Baby and Child Dentistry, a statewide Medicaid, UW, DOH,and WDSF partnership, a national model for early childhood dental care.
First state oral health coalition to host the National Oral Health Conference in Seattle 2009.
Achievement status as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Convened the first state Oral Health Summit in 2002 with support from a federal grant. Decision makers and advocates set the course on the issues of education, access, and service delivery for all Washington residents.
Author of record for the Washington State Oral Health Improvement Plan 2009.
Advocacy for return of adult Medicaid dental benefit 2013.
Endorsement of Board of Health strategies 2013.
Support for School Based Sealant Programs 2013.

Advocacy for the inclusion of an oral health measure in the final list of recommendations to the full Performance Measures Coordinating Committee from the Prevention Measures Technical Workgroup in 2014 as an element in the development of standard statewide measures of health performance to inform public and private health care purchasing, cost/value, and outcomes.

While its focus has expanded from children to people of all ages, the Coalition continues to work for improved access to oral health care and capacity for oral health service delivery. Its membership includes dentists and dental hygienists as well as representatives of social service and health care organizations with a stake in oral health, dental clinics, dental foundations, and institutions of higher education. It also includes representation from local oral health coalitions throughout the state.

In 2002, WSOHC produced the first Oral Health Summit, a one-day gathering of oral health decision makers and advocates whose task was to set the course for oral health in the coming years. Working from the blueprint designed that day, the Coalition has moved forward in the areas of adult dental advocacy and workforce development, maintaining a balanced role of informing and being informed on the continuing issues of oral health education, access, and capacity/service delivery for all of Washington’s residents.