Building a Voice for Better AccessA statewide effort is underway, giving Vermonters a voice for better access to affordable oral health care.

The Vermont Oral Health Care for All Coalition is working to address this systemic problem through building a statewide consumer voice, raising public awareness of the need for better access to affordable oral health care, and exploring innovative solutions to provide greater access to all Vermonters for the dental care they need.

The Coalition is collecting stories from Vermonters who have gone without dental care due to lack of access or affordability.

If you have gone without dental care, we need to hear from you.

Contact Ellen with your personal story/situation at ellenvchcs@live.com or 802-498-8039.

Coalition members: AARP; American Federation of Teachers/United Professions; Community of Vermont Elders; Copley Hospital United Nurses & Allied Professional, Local 5109; Disability Rights VT; Green Mountain Chapter Older Women’s League; Green Mountain Self Advocates; Healthcare Ombudsman; Kids Are Priority One Coalition; Long-Term Care Ombudsman; Mercy Connections; National Association of Social Workers, VT Chapter; NeighborKeepers; People’s Health & Wellness Clinic; Planned Parenthood of Northern New England; VT Assembly of Home Health Agencies; VT Association of Adult Day Services; VT Association of Area Agencies on Aging; VT Campaign to End Childhood Hunger; VT Center for Independent Living; VT Center on Disability and Community Inclusion, UVM; VT Citizens Campaign for Health; VT Coalition for Disability Rights; VT Coalition of Residential Providers; VT Coalition of Runaway & Homeless Youth; VT Developmental Disabilities Council; VT Family Network; Vermont Campaign for Health Care Security Education Fund; VT Dental Hygienists’ Association; VT Kin As Parents; VT Low Income Advocacy Council; VT Migrant Workers Coalition; VT National Education Association; VT Network Against Domestic & Sexual Violence; VT Nurse Practitioners Association; VT Public Interest Research Group; VT State Nurses’ Association; Voices for Vermont’s Children

Oral Health Care for All: Getting Vermontersthe Care They Need

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A signifi cant number of Vermonters do not have dental insurance coverage and for those that do, costs are still signifi cant, making needed dental care unattainable for many.

According to a 2008 Gallup Poll, more than a quarter of Vermonters

did not visit a dentist that year.

Limited access to dentists—especially in rural parts of the state—is another reason many Vermonters do not get regular dental care.

Our dental care access problem will likely get worse, as 40 percent of Vermont dentists plan to retire in the next fi ve to ten years. With no dental school in Vermont and the number of dentists declining nationally, rural access to dentists promises to be an ongoing challenge for Vermonters in the years ahead.

Time and again, Vermont has been recognized as a leader in healthcare reform in the nation. It is time for us to bring that same spirit of innovation and collaboration to providing accessible and affordable oral health care for all Vermonters.

Oral Health is Central to Overall HealthThe health of our teeth and gums goes beyond just having a great smile. Our mouths are unique organs, responsible for a range of essential functions: breathing, digesting, speaking, and sensing.

The mouth is a mirror that refl ects how healthy you really are; when our mouth isn’t healthy, we aren’t healthy. With just one thorough glance inside your mouth, signs of nutritional defi ciencies, systemic disorders, immune disorders, injuries, and even some cancers can be detected.

Just as important, according to the General Surgeon’s Report in 2000, “we see ourselves, and others see us, in terms of the face we present to the world”. Having a healthy mouth not only strengthens our overall health, but also our self-esteem and quality of life.

Oral health is central to overall health, yet tens of thousands of Vermonters do not have access to preventive or routine dental care.

While the state has made great strides in extending affordable health care to low and middle-income Vermonters, lack of access to affordable oral health care for all our citizens is a long-neglected systemic issue.

Insurance, both public and private, often covers care from your ears, nose, and throat to your feet. Yet, somehow, the mouth has been left out of the equation.

Access to Dental Care is a Problem for Thousands of Vermonters