Call to ACTION

Oral Health is Overall Health

Research shows that poor
oral health is a sign of heart disease, stroke,
diabetes, premature births, and osteoporosis

Learn More

Call to Action Header

A Healthy Mouth Starts with Good Vision

Imagine a world where:

Everyone recognizes the importance of good oral health as it relates to total health and well-being.
Every adult and child in Massachusetts has access to oral health services regardless of income or ability to pay.
Every child has at least one comprehensive dental exam prior to entering school and where no child ever has to suffer in silence from tooth pain because he or she can't afford treatment.

Three targeted goals

Root Causes

Background
Many of the proposals that are included in this Call to ACTION have their roots in recent studies conducted by various groups and organizations studying the state of oral health in Massachusetts.Beginning with the Special Legislative Commission on Oral Health in 2000 and as recently as the Catalyst Institute study on the rate of dental decay among children and oral health disparities released in 2007, all conclude that low-income populations in the Commonwealth are not receiving the dental services they need to maintain good oral health. Download the Call to ACTION Letter from Dr. Glicksman

Proposed Timeline
Just as these obstacles to good oral health for all residents of the Commonwealth didn't surface overnight, the solutions won't come immediately. That's why the MDS is offering a five-year plan that will address these issues. In this way,we will have constructed a solid foundation on which together we can build an oral health care system that can be sustained for many years to come. The issues identified in this document are divided into three targeted Goals: Oral Health/Overall Health, Access to Care, and Prevention. The objectives are then described within each goal.

Get Involved
The proposals being offered by the Massachusetts Dental Society identify ways the Society and other stakeholders can meet the growing needs of these underserved populations. Some call for legislative ACTION on Beacon Hill, others recommend partnerships with organizations, and still others suggest ways that the Massachusetts Dental Society and its nearly 5,000 members can collectively address certain problems. But even an association the size of the MDS cannot be expected to do it alone. We will need the support and partnership of a wide range of groups and concerned citizens to work collaboratively in finding practical and meaningful solutions to these problems.
For more information about Call to ACTION, please call 888.MDS.2013 or Get Involved Online.

In the News
The following stories have appeared in the news in relation to the MDS’s Call to ACTION.