The 2023 Smile Survey is making significant progress across the state. So far, thanks to the partnership of school districts, the survey has reached 55% of schools randomly selected for the sample. In Spokane County, the Smile Spokane Collaborative is seeking connections to selected schools to support participation in the Smile Survey.
Read MoreMental Health Challenges Don’t Have to Stop Oral Health Care
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As we acknowledge National Mental Health Awareness month, we’re shining a light on Smile Spokane’s Care Linkages Strategy and our impactful partnership with Frontier Behavioral Health (FBH). Overall health means oral health, physical health, and emotional and mental health. The care navigators at FBH help connect people living with mental challenges and illness to all kinds of support and care, including oral health care.
Read MoreCongratulations: EWU Department of Dental Hygiene Turns 50!
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On May 14, Eastern Washington University's (EWU) dental hygiene program celebrated five decades of excellence and service to the community. Over the years, the dental hygiene program has proudly educated generations of dental hygiene professionals while operating a clinic that provides quality care for less-advantaged residents of our community. Here's a quick look back at their history!
Read MoreDentistLink Connects Patients to Oral Health Care
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People who earn less than $17,775 a year are eligible to enroll in Apple Health (Medicaid) insurance, which covers dental care. Unfortunately, that doesn't always mean they are able to access dental care they need. In fact, in Spokane in 2020, only 24% of adults with Apple Health saw a dentist. Smile Spokane’s Access Strategy seeks to close that gap and help more people get the care they need.
Read MoreAccess to Baby & Child Dentistry (ABCD) Program
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Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) program staff helps eligible kids access ABCD-certified dentists by providing case management and technical assistance. If a child has Apple Health (Medicaid), they are eligible to receive services through the ABCD program.
Read MoreSealants Strategy: Helping Children Access Oral Health Care in Schools
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We want to celebrate our Sealants Strategy in honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month! Tooth pain and cavities can make kids more likely to miss school and more likely to earn below-average grades. Luckily, Communities in Schools Spokane County and ToothSavers of Washington have partnered with Smile Spokane to provide sealants to kids in elementary schools. When we prevent cavities, kids stay in school, focused on achieving good grades, which supports their long-term success in life.
Read MoreBuilding Oral Health Equity in Spokane
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With the global pandemic upon us in early 2021 and the disparities in health care becoming glaringly obvious, Smile Spokane started an equity project in partnership with CHAS Health community health workers (CHW), with the support of the Arcora Foundation. The project focused on the oral health needs of Spokane’s Marshallese community members.
Read MoreDiabetes Awareness Month
/November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Good oral health is especially important for people with diabetes, who are 3x more likely to have gum disease. As part of Smile Spokane’s Care Coordination Strategy, Aging and Long Term Care of Eastern Washington connects people with diabetes to oral health providers who take Apple Health Medicaid. Accessing dental services helps people with diabetes manage the health of their mouth.
Read MoreFluoridation: Improving Children's Oral Health
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By Dr. Deb Harper - The first time I saw a child with teeth destroyed to the gumlines, I thought he had ectodermal dysplasia. Never heard of that? It's a very rare inborn condition. I had seen it twice during my training at Cook County Hospital, but I had never seen what this Spokane boy had in the spring of 1985. Cavities had rotted out all of his front teeth. The difference? Chicago's water is fluoridated. Spokane's water is not.
Read MoreToothsavers School-based Sealants Program→
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Summer is winding down as fall activities ramp up. Are you getting into gear for school and preparing for the school year routines? Make sure caring for your child's oral health is one of those routines!
Sign your primary and middle-school children up for the Toothsavers Sealants program to receive sealant dental care while in school.
Read MoreKidney Health & Fluoride
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Kidney Health & Fluoride
Smile Spokane is committed to educating the public about community fluoride benefits and addressing concerns raised by opponents. Experts don’t support claims that water fluoridation is harmful to kidney health or people with kidney disease.
What do the experts say?
Racial Disparities in Oral Health
/Smile Spokane and our partners work to eliminate oral health disparities in our region and our work is far from done. Many of these disparities result from historically racist health care policies that deny access and quality care to non-white people in the United States. When you look at the data it is an undeniable reality.
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