Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, Inc.

Poor oral health is the gateway to other health issues; for example, periodontal disease has been linked with increased risk for heart and lung diseases, stroke, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and respiratory disease.

Although oral diseases are often preventable and treatable, many New Yorkers lack access to effective community-level preventive measures and to dental care services.

This project supported work with the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy (SCAA) to identify and analyze policy solutions to increase access to and financing for population health interventions to improve oral health in New York State. SCAA developed and disseminated balanced information and policy analyses to educate policymakers and the public more generally about dental disease and made recommendations for policies to improve population oral health. SCAA also built coalitions of stakeholders in up to three local communities to advocate for policy changes to reduce dental disease. Ultimately, this project aimed to protect access to community water fluoridation in New York State.