Vermont Oral Health Equity Project
About the Project
Our goal is to build a statewide community voice for oral health care and advocate for greater access to affordable, patient-centered, culturally responsive care. We know that rural communities, Black, Brown, and Indigenous people, and people with disabilities experience worse oral health. The way we provide dental care is disjointed and inequitable. Oral health is central to overall health, yet tens of thousands of Vermonters do not have access to preventive or routine dental care.
The project wants to hear from and amplify people across the state about what stands in the way of good oral health. We surveyed Vermonters about their oral health during the summer and fall of 2023, and collected information about community capacity via an organizational assessment in late 2023. Together with our advisors, we are using this information to develop advocacy strategies to effect necessary changes and improve oral health access.
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Read the Full Report
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A selection of statewide data compiled from publicly accessible sources that reflect care access and outcomes relative to oral health in Vermont.
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A selection of data by county to illuminate geographic disparities in access to oral health care.
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Project advisors include advocacy organizations that represent the populations and communities facing oral health disparities, health care providers, and public health experts:
Bi-State Primary Care Association, Committee of Vermont Elders (early in the project before they disolved), Janet S. Munt Family Room, King Street Center, University of Vermont Migrant Health Programs, People’s Health and Wellness Clinic, Vermont Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Vermont Department of Health, Vermont Family Network, Vermont’s Free and Referral Clinics, Vermont Health Equity Initiative, Vermont Head Start Health Managers, Vermont State School Nurses Association
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The advocacy toolkit includes information about minimally invasive care and medical-dental integration, scripts for self-advocacy with health care providers, social media graphics and more.
Stay Connected
Join our consumer-voice network to stay informed about the project!