Arcora Foundation – Improving Lives by Improving Oral Health

Oral Health Watch is supported by Arcora Foundation. Arcora Foundation aims to prevent oral disease and improve overall health. With an emphasis on prevention and access to early care, Arcora Foundation supports innovative approaches and practical solutions to improve oral—and overall – health, focusing especially on young children and seniors.  Funded by Delta Dental of Washington, the state’s leading dental benefits company, Arcora Foundation is passionate about preventing dental disease and increasing access to care—for everyone.

Initiatives and Partners

Providing oral health services in physicians’ offices

Arcora Foundation is working to change the standard of well-child care so that dental disease prevention services are delivered at an early age — in the physician’s office.  This innovation is significant because early prevention in a medical setting is a low-cost, effective way to protect children’s oral health for a lifetime. Learn more

Partner Spotlight: Group Health Cooperative

Group Health Cooperative and Washington Dental Service Foundation have partnered to deliver dental disease prevention services to very young children during well-child checkups. This is the first time this innovative approach had been implemented on such a large scale. Arcora Foundation trained primary care providers and staff serving young children at all 25 medical clinics in Washington and helped support the development of a business model and tools to  integrate oral health services into the clinical flow.

Providing care to low-income children

The Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) program expands access to dental care for young children with Apple Health in Washington State by connecting then to dentists who know how to care for young kids and educating parents about how to take good care of their children’s teeth.  Early dental care saves children from unnecessary pain and saves money for families, businesses and taxpayers.

ABCD involves many partners, including local dental societies, local health departments, the Washington State Health Care Authority, the Washington State Department of Health, and the University of Washington School Of Dentistry.  Learn more

Partner Spotlight:  Children’s Alliance

The Children’s Alliance is the primary children’s advocacy organization in Washington State. Children’s Alliance led the effort in 2007 to pass Cover All Kids legislation which increased healthcare coverage for kids up to 250% of Federal Poverty Level and then Apple Health for Kids which increased healthcare coverage for kids up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level. Arcora Foundation partners closely with the Children’s Alliance to eliminate disparities in oral health and ensure all children have access to dental care.

Partner Spotlight: WithinReach

WithinReach works to ensure optimal health for all families in Washington by connecting them to the programs, resources and information they need to build healthy families. Each year, WithinReach connects more than 200,000 families to food and health resources. Arcora Foundation partners closely with WithinReach to support programs, such as ParentHelp123.org, that promote awareness and education and improve access to oral health care for pregnant women and young children.

Improving seniors’ oral health

To expand access to low-cost dental services for seniors, Arcora Foundation supports non-profit dental clinics and programs, including the  Geriatric Dental Group’s clinic in Federal Way. Arcora Foundation is working to raise awareness about the importance of combating dry mouth, which can severely affect oral and overall health.  Visit www.seniorsoralhealth.org to learn more.

Partner Spotlight: Washington State Senior Citizens’  Lobby

The Washington State Senior Citizens’ Lobby is a volunteer, non-profit advocacy organization for seniors. Arcora Foundation has been a member since 2005  and has partnered with Senior Citizen’s Lobby to elevate attention to the importance of oral health for seniors.

Supporting dental care for low-income patients

Arcora Foundation provides financial and other support to help Community Health Centers increase the number of patients they serve.  The goal is to provide dental care to those who need it and ensure that prevention is a priority.  Operating since 1995, the SmileMobile, a 40-foot modern dental clinic on wheels, brings dental services directly to children who do not otherwise have access to care. Learn more

Partner Spotlight: Washington Association of Community and Migrant Health Centers

The Washington Association of Community & Migrant Health Centers (WACMHC) represents community health centers across the state with the mission of ensuring all Washingtonian’s have access to health care including oral health care. WACMHC has partnered with Arcora Foundation to develop the Dental Director Learning Network. Quarterly meetings with Community Health Center dental directors promote sharing and problem solving improving the ability of dental clinics to focus on dental disease prevention.

Making oral health part of early learning

Children can’t learn and succeed if they suffer from painful dental disease.  To promote oral health in pre-schools and Head Start programs, Arcora Foundation developed a curriculum called “Cavity Free Kids” to help teachers, childcare providers, parents and children learn about tooth decay and what they can do to prevent it. Learn more

Partner Spotlight: Thrive by Five Washington / Head Start

Thrive by Five Washington, Head Start and Arcora Foundation are working together to make oral health part of early learning. Children have difficulty learning and succeeding in school and in life if they suffer from painful, untreated dental disease. To promote oral health in preschools and Head Start programs, Arcora Foundation developed a curriculum called “Cavity Free Kids” to help teachers, parents and children learn about tooth decay and what they can do to prevent it.  Arcora Foundation has partnered with Thrive by Five Washington to bring Cavity Free Kids training to early learning settings.  Visit http://www.cavityfreekids.org/ to learn more.

Fluoridating drinking water

The most cost-effective way to improve oral health: Water fluoridation is the most important step a community can take to improve the oral health of all residents. Arcora Foundation provides assistance to groups committed to bringing the benefits of fluoride to their communities.  Learn more

Arcora Foundation—blending innovation and practical solutions to prevent dental disease and improve lives.