Kansas City Hospital Awarded Portion of Dental Grant Funding

Efforts to improve the oral health of young children have been in the news frequently, and now there is a new effort underway to positively affect oral health in kids living in the U.S. and Canada. The Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future (ACFF) has recently awarded three grants totaling $50,000 to fund projects taking place in both countries, starting next year. Each grant was awarded to help the recipients reduce the number of dental caries in pediatric populations. According to ACFF, dental caries is the most common preventable chronic disease on the planet.

In the U.S., Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. was awarded a portion of the grant money to create a program aimed at improving dental referrals for children deemed at high risk for caries. The hospital plans to expand the role of a dedicated staff member to help these specific children move through the referral process and will coordinate care between the patient and providers. The organizers of the program estimate that by 2018, 80 percent of children identified as being at highest risk for caries will already have a formal dental referral completed.

This is the first time the grant program has awarded funding, and ACFF hopes the program will bring together practitioners from multiple disciplines to help underserved communities. According to a news release, the grants focuses on specific pediatric populations in communities with high rates of caries, as well as patients living in more remote areas and low-income or special needs communities.

The ACFF is a worldwide network of dental experts who have come together to promote integrated clinical and public health action focused on stopping caries initiation and progression. Ultimately, the goal of the organization is to move toward a cavity-free future for people of all age groups. As part of their mission, the group believes that global collaborative action is needed in order to compel global leaders and stakeholders toward action in delivering caries prevention and management services in their communities.

ACFF works with a worldwide panel of dental experts and authorities in public health. The grant awards were made possible through funding by Colgate-Palmolive.