What is West Virginia Partners
for Oral Health?

A project of West Virginia Community Voices, Inc. funded by The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.  What we do:

• Support and help coordinate community-based oral health projects.
• Compile results of research and information on oral health in West Virginia.
• Educate policy-makers and the public about the importance of good oral health, especially of pregnant women.
• Help integrate oral health into parent and provider health education programs; and
• Address provider payment issues for oral health with Medicaid, CHIP and PEIA.  

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State Oral Health Plan Developed

The West Virginia Bureau for Public Health has released the West Virginia Oral Health Plan for 2010-2015.  The plan, a collaborative effort by many individuals and organizations, identifies seven objectives:

1. Strengthen West Virginia’s state-level infrastructure and capacity to improve the oral health of its citizens.
2. Develop a financing strategy for oral health services and implementation of the state plan recommendations.
3. Promote oral health across the lifespan.
4. Strengthen and improve the dental health workforce.
5. Invest in community prevention.
6. Strengthen the role of West Virginia’s schools in promoting the oral health of students.
7. Maintain, evaluate, and monitor state plan implementation.

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Chomping for Good Dental Care

Some students from Mylan Park Elementary School boarded a bus in the middle of the day for a field trip - to the dentist. The children are part of a pilot project - called Children with Healthy Oral Cavities Morgantown Program (CHOMP) - with the WVU School of Dentistry. Read more in this Dominion Post article.

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$500K in Grant Money Available for WV Children's Oral Health

The Appalachian Regional Commission and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation have collaborated to fund a $500,000 grant for children’s oral health in West Virginia.  The purpose of this grant is to increase access to preventive dental services for youth in West Virginia through school–community partnerships.  Funding from these agencies will be used to support schools and their local communities to provide preventive services for needy children.   It will be managed by the Robert C. Byrd Center for Rural Health at Marshall University.  This is the second and final round of funding for this project. 

Read/Hear West Virginia Public Broadcasting Report

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Free CE Oral Health Course Available

Over the past several months the West Virginia Partners for Oral Health have been collaborating on a project to strengthen the knowledge of oral health as it pertains to the Head Start population and the young children of West Virginia. This effort resulted in the development of a self-paced, continuing education program for the dental team, medical team and Head Start staff.  The  CE course is free and is approved for nurses, social workers, dentists, dental hygienists as well as dental assistants. To take advantage of this opportunity, all you need to do is simply read the CE course entitled “Oral Health in West Virginia Head Start and Early Head Start Children,“ complete the test at the end, and mail the answer sheet to the address listed.  Please share this link with others that might benefit from participating in the course.  (Note: The material says the deadline for CE credit is !2/31/09.  The deadline has been extended.)

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Huntington Newspaper Calls Attention to Poor Oral Health Practices and Efforts to Improve

Two recent articles by Laura Wilcox in Huntington's  Herald-Dispatch, are calling attention to poor oral health and nutritional habits that contribute to tooth decay and what efforts are being made improve the situation.  West Virginia Partners for Oral Health coordinator Bobbi Jo Muto is prominently quoted in both articles.  Read Factors Erode Area's Dental Health and Efforts Under Way to Improve Care of Teeth