FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: S. Beth Nolan, Voices for Vermont’s Children (802) 229-6377 DATE: August 9, 2011 MILLIONS OF AMERICANS LACK ACCESS TO BASIC ORAL HEALTH CARE SAYS NEW REPORT FROM THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE PROBLEMS NO DIFFERENT HERE IN VERMONT SAYS VERMONT ORAL HEALTH CARE FOR ALL COALITION The Vermont Oral Health Care for All Coalition today issued a call for renewed efforts to provide comprehensive and affordable oral health care for all Vermont residents. A just-issued report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) underscores the need for a multi-pronged approach to address the issue, said Beth Nolan, Outreach and Project Coordinator for Voices for Vermont’s Children, a lead organization for the Coalition. “We need to build awareness of the importance of oral health care to overall health, “ said Nolan. “Just as Vermont came to embrace the concept of parity for mental and physical health, we need to understand the same is true for oral and physical health.” The IOM report says that the lack of regular oral health care has serious consequences, including increased risk of respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, as well as inappropriate use of hospital emergency rooms for preventable dental diseases. Nolan pointed to a major finding of the report that strikes home here in Vermont. There are "persistent and systemic" barriers that limit access to oral health for millions of Americans, including thousands of Vermonters. These barriers include inadequate reimbursement rates, a lack of access and affordability for many, and a shortcoming in a health care system that doesn’t prioritize oral health care. “Too many Vermonters do not have access to preventive and routine dental care”, she said. “For example, like all states, Vermont provides dental coverage for children enrolled in our Medicaid programs, such as Dr. Dynasaur,” she said, “but still we had 24,000 children on Dr. Dynasaur alone who did not receive care in 2009.” “For adults, it is even worse. In 2009, 64,000 Vermonters reported they did not receive care due to cost.” “We were also very pleased to see the report's emphasis on expansion of the dental workforce, an area that we are working on here in Vermont, “ Nolan added. The Vermont

Oral Health Care for All Coalition is working to expand the dental team through the addition of a new provider that has been successful in more than 50 countries and Alaska. The IOM report is available at: http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2011/Improving-Access-to-Oral-Health-Care-for-Vulnerable-and-Underserved-Populations.aspx The study was sponsored by the Health Resources and Services Administration and the California HealthCare Foundation. Established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine provides independent, objective, evidence-based advice to policymakers, health professionals, the private sector, and the public. The National Research Council is the principal operating agency of the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering. The Vermont Oral Health Care for All Coalition’s mission is to build a statewide consumer voice for oral health care and raise public awareness of the need for greater access to affordable dental care. It is made up of organizations including consumer groups, children’s advocates, health providers, organized labor, senior advocates, health clinics and other organizations who work with Vermonters suffering from the lack of access to affordable dental care. The Coalition is working to address this systemic problem through giving Vermonters a voice in the care they receive, building awareness about the importance of oral health to overall health, and exploring innovative solutions to provide greater access to all Vermonters for the dental care they need. Visit the Coalition website at www.vtoralhealth4all.org.

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