Get Involved!!

Join the Mississippi Oral Health Community Alliance

(click on the logo above to view the web site)

The Mississippi Oral Health Community Alliance unites dentists, dental hygienists, dental team members, state agencies, health care providers, oral health advocates, community leaders and private citizens to work together to improve the oral health of all Mississippians.

Click here to join.

A Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC)

A new dental team member has emerged over the past few years. A community dental health coordinator (CDHC) is an individual who works for a dentist in a dental clinic or practice setting and assists patients in the local community in obtaining oral health care by connecting to local resources. Many people do not access dental care because they simply do not understand the importance of regularly seeing a dentist or they do not know where to go for care.

That is where the CDHC can help. This new dental team member can help individuals better understand their coverage, educate them regarding oral health care needs and even help them connect to local community resources to obtain the care that they need. The CDHC is sometimes called a patient navigator because they help patients to navigate the oral health care system and get the dental care they need.

Mississippi Dental Medicaid

Our state has a lot of individuals who qualify for Medicaid coverage, especially children. Oral health care for children in covered by Medicaid. However, some parents do not make sure their children see a dentist to provide much needed dental care. Starting at birth and seeing a dentist on a regular basis can mean the difference between a healthy smile and years of problems with your teeth.

At times, some may have difficulty locating a dentist who is a Medicaid provider. That is not due to the dentist not wanting to take care of patients in his or her community, it is usually an economic decision. In other words, reimbursement for dental care covered by Medicaid is many times lower that the cost of providing the care. Also, there is no Medicaid dental coverage for adults in our state. The MDA works hard to make sure that all Mississippians have access to oral health care by improving funding and also seeking expansion of coverage to include adults.