The Center for Oral Health (COH) is pleased to announce the release of its latest white paper, Oral Health Equity: Beyond Equity, Towards Justice. This timely white paper marks an important step forward in COH’s long-standing commitment to equitable care and underscores that oral health must be reframed as a matter of justice rather than simply equal access.
The white paper distinguishes between equity and fairness, revealing how a “one-size-fits-all” approach fails to address the complex needs of communities with the greatest oral health disparities. Through evidence-based analysis and case studies from Early Smiles Sacramento and Big Bear Rural Health Clinic, both of which are part of the Center for Oral Health, the report shows how targeted, community-led solutions are key to achieving equitable outcomes.
“Equity requires more than good intentions; it requires systemic action,” said Tiffany Turner, CEO of the Center for Oral Health. “This paper challenges all of us to stop settling for equal treatment and start designing systems that truly work for people where they are.”
At the Center for Oral Health, our approach to advancing health equity is grounded in the social ecological model and the Quadruple Aim. These frameworks inform how we design and implement programs to ensure they improve population health, enhance the patient experience, reduce systemic inefficiencies, and support providers.
The white paper outlines solutions such as school-based services, mobile dentistry, dental integration, and community health worker programs. Each strategy is paired with practical policy and practice recommendations to guide providers, policymakers, educators, and advocates.
The document also calls for stronger Medicaid protections, investments in community models, culturally responsive care, and workforce diversity as important components of a more just oral health system.
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