Press & Media

An innovative oral health program that has helped hundreds of thousands of lower-income children and established Washington state as a national leader in children’s dental care access turns 20.

A Washington oral health program for children is celebrating 20 years of caring for kids. The Access to Baby and Child Dentistry program, or ABCD, actually started in Spokane in 1995 at a time when only one-in-five children received dental checkups.

Amidst all of the political noise in recent weeks, the House of Representatives passed a policy that could transform health care for tens of millions of Americans. It may even be something that will please everyone.

An innovative oral health program that has helped hundreds of thousands of lower-income children and established Washington state as a national leader in children’s dental care access turns 20.

Rural communities across America struggle to find adequate dental care nearby, which means oral health can be neglected until it manifests into an urgent medical issue.

Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD), an oral health program which connects Medicaid-insured children up to age six with dentists specially trained to treat babies, toddlers and preschoolers, is celebrating its twenty year anniversary.

Surveys of Washington residents show that oral health problems occur in all communities and populations, but are more common among communities of color and people with lower incomes.  When it comes to oral health, disparities are widespread and profound.

Scott Kennedy, MD is the Chief Medical Officer at the Olympia Medical Center in Port Angeles.  He is also a board member at the Arcora Foundation, one of the nation’s largest foundations focused on oral health. Dr. Kennedy joins us for this edition of “What They’re Watching” to speak to the intersection of oral health with…

Although most people probably understand that poor dental care can lead to cavities, did you know that other, more serious health problems can also result from poor oral care?

Every child deserves a healthy start in life, and an opportunity to grow into a productive adult. Oral health is an essential part of that continuum. At every age, oral health is crucial to overall health.