Arkansas Department of Health

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Arkansas Oral Health Coalition

Arkansas Oral Health Coalition 

"Smiles: AR, U.S."  

The Arkansas Oral Health Coalition is a voluntary not-for-profit organization representing oral health interests throughout Arkansas. The Coalition provides leadership to:

• Formulate and promote sound oral health policy
• Increase awareness of oral health issues
• Assist in promotion of initiatives for the prevention and control of oral diseases.

The Coalition has over 40 members and meets monthly to coordinate and support oral health activities. Some of the projects undertaken by the coalition include: passage of Act 197 of 2011 insuring access to fluoridated water for Arkansans served by water systems with 5,000 or more customers; Arkansas Mission of Mercy (a dental health care event providing over $1,000,000 in free dental care to underserved Arkansans); and the Governor’s Oral Health Summit (a biennial all-day conference on dental public health issues).

 

Additional Information

Arkansas Mission of Mercy
The annual Arkansas Mission of Mercy (ARMOM) dental charity event is normally held on a Friday and Saturday in the spring each year.  ARMOM is held at different locations around the state each year in order to address the statewide oral health needs of citizens. More than 700 volunteer dentists, dental hygienists, nurses, physicians, pharmacists and lay persons help approximately 2,000 patients receive needed dental treatment free of charge. The doors open at 6 a.m. each morning with hundreds of patients in line, some of whom camp out on the sidewalks overnight. By the time the doors close at 6 p.m. on Saturday, patients from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee and Mississippi have received free dental care, estimated at more than $1,000,000. To view a video commemorating ten years of ARMOM, click here.

Governor’s Oral Health Summit
The Governor’s Oral Health Summit serves as the venue for the biennial meeting of the Arkansas Oral Health Coalition. The all-day conference provides continuing education on dental issues of importance to everyone with an interest in optimum oral health for all Arkansans. For information on conference dates and times, please contact the Office of Oral Health.

Community Water Fluoridation
In 2011, members of the coalition joined forces and successfully convinced the Arkansas General Assembly to approve fluoridation legislation to ensure access to the benefits of optimally fluoridated drinking water for all Arkansas Citizens served by a water system with 5,000 or more customers.  The Delta Dental Foundation of Arkansas, a coalition member, has pledged to provide access to funding for the 35 water systems affected by the legislation.  The coalition is still working to bring these 35 water systems on line with fluoridated water.  Once the goal is reached, nearly 86% of Arkansans will have access to the benefits of fluoridated water.

Arkansas Oral Health Coalition Bylaws