In the wooded highlands of northern Arkansas, where small towns have few dentists, water officials who serve more than 20,000 people have for more than a decade openly defied state law by refusing to add fluoride to the drinking water.

For its refusal, the Ozark Mountain Regional Public Water Authority has received hundreds of state fines amounting to about $130,000, which are stuffed in a cardboard box and left unpaid, said Andy Anderson, who is opposed to fluoridation and has led the water system for nearly two decades.

This Ozark region is among hundreds of rural American communities that face a one-two punch to oral health: a dire shortage of dentists and a lack of fluoridated drinking water, which is widely viewed among dentists as one of the most effective tools to prevent tooth decay. But as the anti-fluoride movement builds unprecedented momentum, it may turn out that the Ozarks were not behind the times after all.

“We will eventually win,” Anderson said. “We will be vindicated.”

Fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral, keeps teeth strong when added to drinking water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Dental Association. But the anti-fluoride movement has been energized since a government report last summer found a possible link between lower IQ in children and consuming amounts of fluoride that are higher than what is recommended in American drinking water. Dozens of communities have decided to stop fluoridating in recent months, and state officials in Florida and Texas have urged their water systems to do the same. Utah is poised to become the first state to ban it in tap water.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long espoused fringe health theories, has called fluoride an “industrial waste” and “dangerous neurotoxin” and said the Trump administration will recommend it be removed from all public drinking water.

Read more.

The ASERT Collaborative (Autism Services, Education, Resources and Training) is a statewide partnership that provides streamlined access to information for Pennsylvanians living with and impacted by autism.

The ASERT website hosts resources covering a wide range of topics for parents, self-advocates, professionals, and community members while also providing information on statewide events, support groups, and free online training opportunities. To request free ASERT brochures in English or Spanish for your office, email info@paautism.org.

Click here to view an informational flyer.
Click here to learn more about ASERT.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) is accepting nominations and applications for dedicated oral health stakeholders to serve on the Pennsylvania Oral Health Plan Advisory Group (OHPAG). Representatives will be selected from one of the nine sectors outlined in the Pennsylvania Oral Health Plan 2020-2030. To nominate a candidate or yourself, please download the application, complete it, and submit it along with a resume and/or CV to c-jmcdanie@pa.gov. The application deadline is May 5 at 4 pm and selected members will be notified via email by May 30.

The OHPAG plays a critical role in guiding the implementation of Pennsylvania Oral Health Plan, identifying priorities, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders to improve oral health across the state. Members will have the opportunity to provide strategic input, share expertise, and support initiatives aimed at enhancing oral health outcomes for all Pennsylvanians. DOH encourages nominations from representatives from public health, dental and medical providers, community organizations, academia, insurers, policymakers, individuals with lived experience, and others. A commitment to advancing oral health equity and a willingness to actively participate in meetings are essential.

Please contact Dr. Jonise McDaniel with any questions.

Click here to view the guidelines.
Click here to download the nomination form.

The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health is offering a new self-paced course on their website, “Integration and Coordination to Improve the Patient Experience.” The course explores dental care coordination and integrated care as critical components in addressing systemic issues that affect patient outcomes. It offers 1 CEU for dental providers.

Click here to check out the course.

We are pleased to announce the release of our 2024 Impact Report. Thank you to all of our stakeholders, partners, and funders for making this work possible. We look forward to working collaboratively to improve oral health in 2025 and beyond!

Click here to access the report!

The PA Coalition for Oral Health and the Pennsylvania Department of Health Oral Health Program are working together on a multimedia communications campaign for 11–17-year-olds on reducing sugar-sweetened and acidic beverage consumption in certain PA counties.

The project is multifaceted, consisting of a social media campaign, as well as print materials to be displayed in-office/in the waiting room, and an interactive demonstration. They are looking for clinics in Allegheny, Berks, Centre, Clarion, Crawford, Jefferson, Lancaster, or Lehigh counties that would be able to display the print materials and conduct the interactive demonstration at one community event this spring. If spacing is an issue, the sugar-sweetened beverage materials and acid materials can be displayed separately.

The PA Coalition for Oral Health are asking that materials be displayed from March 3, 2025- May 30, 2025, and that during at least one community event during that time, you complete the acid interactive demonstration. All materials will be mailed to you free of charge and are yours to keep at the end of the campaign. The materials that would be displayed in your office/waiting room are:

• One 40×29 tri-fold display board on sugar-sweetened beverages
• One 8.5×11 poster (with built-in easel) on acidity in drinks
• A stack of rack-card sized flyers on acidity in drinks
• A stack of 8.5×11 flyers: Tips for Healthy Sips
• A stack of 8.5×11 flyers: What Should Kids Drink
• A stack of 8.5×11 flyers: A Student Guide to Sugary Drinks

Please email Lia BenYishay by Wednesday, Feb.26, 2025 if you’re interested or if you have any follow-up questions.

The Academy at Harvard Medical School is hosting “Why Oral Health Needs a Home in Medical Education” this Thursday, January 30th at 5 pm ET as part of their Medical Education Grand Rounds series. They will cover the importance of oral health content in undergraduate and graduate medical education, review the history of medical-dental education, and preview future opportunities.

Click here for more information and to register.

The United States celebrated 80 years since water fluoridation was initiated in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Join PCOH and the 100+ reputable international health and science organizations in recognizing and celebrating the amazing impact that water fluoridation continues to have. Please consider taking action to promote the benefits of fluoridation so that we can celebrate the next milestone.

Here’s three ways you can take action:

1. Join the Statewide Water Action Team (SWAT) and notify PCOH when you hear rumblings about water fluoridation in your local community.
2. Review the linked talking points so that you are prepared when talking with others about water fluoridation in the news.

Share printed and electronic resources with patients, colleagues, and community members so that they are aware of the benefits of and science behind fluoridation and fluoride treatments.

Oral health materials are available on the Request Materials page at no cost. Physical and online materials include oral health flyers, posters, rack cards, postcards, and magnets. Topics include general oral health, kids’ health, tobacco/nicotine, workforce, and fluoride.

These resources are great for patient education in waiting rooms, distribution at health fairs and other
community events, and much more.

Click here to request materials.