Primary care providers including pediatricians, internists, and family doctors as well as nurse practitioners and physician assistants serve on the front lines of health care. They are often the first to notice oral health conditions when treating other health issues. Creating a network of health care allies who can train their peers and advocate for oral health is the idea behind the One Hundred Million Mouths Campaign (100 MMC)—an initiative originally funded by Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) and now funded by CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, led by Harvard School of Dental Medicine faculty and other collaborators from the Center for Integration of Primary Care and Oral Health (CIPCOH).
“This project started from a bold idea that we could reach millions of Americans who may not have access to a dentist by enlisting the greater healthcare workforce as partners in oral health. These partners, or champions as we call them, can train their peers, and create more advocates for oral health, thus amplifying our reach,” said Shenam Ticku, instructor in Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, and co-principal investigator for the project.
The One Hundred Million Mouths Campaign launched in 2021 with an initial six Oral Health Champions from different states across the U.S. including Alabama, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Missouri, and Tennessee. Now in its second year, Champions from eight additional states have recently joined representing Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Ohio. The goal is to have at least one Champion in each state.
“Our goal is to create fifty oral health education champions over the next decade, one in each state, to work with health profession schools and programs to integrate oral health into their curricula to bridge gaps in oral health promotion and disease prevention,” said Hugh Silk, professor of Family Medicine & Community Health at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and co-principal investigator.
Once Oral Health Education Champions are accepted in the program, they receive training that gives them a toolkit to engage with health profession schools and programs in their home states to increase oral health teaching. CIPCOH provides a comprehensive oral health curriculum, evaluation, a small stipend, and ongoing technical support. The commitment for Champions is around five hours a month after an initial eight-hour training period.
Dr. Wanda Gonsalves, an Oral Health Education Champion from Kentucky said, “I was a dental hygienist before entering medical school, so the “mouth has always remained a part of the body.” I have always understood the importance of oral health and I have worked on multiple projects to improve access to oral health. The 100 MMC gives me an opportunity to not only continue the work that I have been doing but it also provides a national network of likeminded individuals working collectively to fill this major gap in primary care training. Additionally, this campaign’s focus on integrating oral health into primary care curriculum with an equity lens, and providing us with tools to that, is very valuable.”
Learn more about the Center for Integration of Primary Care and Oral Health (CIPCOH).
Learn more about the One Hundred Million Mouths Campaign.
