Dental Equity-Focused Coalition Launched

Ohioans for Dental Equity has announced the launch of a coalition made up of dozens of community based and statewide advocacy organizations, including the Ohio Public Health Association. The coalition will work to shine a light on the disparities and inequities related to oral health.

At a press conference announcing the coalition, participants noted that oral health is a gateway to the rest of the body’s health and that it has been overlooked for far too long, disproportionately harming racial minorities, children of low-income families, and people living in rural communities, among other at-risk groups.

Members of the coalition also include the statewide groups such as Ohio Headstart Association, Coalition On Housing and Homelessness in Ohio, Ohio Foodbank Association, Health Partners of Western Ohio and local service providers like Health Partners of Western Ohio (Lima) Shawnee Mental Health (Portsmouth), Washington-Morgan Community Action Program (Marietta) and Clintonville Resource Center (Columbus) as well as leaders in the dental health field.