HOME | CONTACT   




“What amounts to ‘a silent epidemic’ of dental and oral diseases is affecting some population groups—a burden of disease that restricts activities in school, work, and home, and often significantly diminishes the quality of life.”

Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General. Surgeon General David Satcher, 2000.

 

 

The Kansas Oral Health Plan
2015 – 2017

The Kansas Oral Health Plan for 2015 – 2017 sets direction and priorities for achieving the overall vision of improved oral health for all Kansans. The plan was developed with the input of of over 60 key stakeholders representing a diversity of individuals and organizations from across the state. The plan establishes four goals which together will “move the needle” toward better prevention and treatment of oral disease as critical components of the overall health of all Kansans.

The full plan is presented below and can be downloaded as a pdf. Each of the four goals is also shown on a separate page with related background information and resources.

Financing: Kansans have a way to pay for high-quality, affordable dental services. Dental parity and consumer understanding of insurance policies are essential elements of success.

Oral Health Literacy: Kansas has a targeted, measurable oral health information campaign designed to reach populations at high risk for oral disease.

System Collaboration: Oral health care is integrated into already established medical programs.


Workforce: Kansas’ professional dental workforce is adequate to meet the oral health needs of its citizens. This includes having enough professionals to cover the state’s designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), and care for vulnerable populations in all parts of the state. This workforce must have adequate access to education in order to meet Kansas’ needs.


Each of the four goals has supporting objectives and strategies. The objectives are assigned to lead organizations (in italics) which are charged with 1) developing measures for monitoring progress; 2) creating action plans; 3) engaging other partners; and 4) coordinating efforts and communications across the goal areas. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and Oral Health Kansas (OHK) will have joint responsibility for overall monitoring and reporting on plan implementation and progress.