NC Oral Health Collaborative

Don’t miss your chance for the RHIP-TIDES Pediatric Mini-Residency! Registration closes Friday, May 15.

This program, through the Medical University of South Carolina James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine, is designed to strengthen care for children ages 0–5 in rural and underserved communities through:
• Hands-on pediatric simulation labs
• Training in clinical techniques and practice operations
• Strategies to expand access to care
• Opportunities for dental teams to learn together

Participants will gain practical experience in procedures including stainless steel crowns, pulp therapy, trauma management, and space maintenance.

📍 June 11–13 | Charleston, SC
📍 CE credits available
📍 Registration fees: $1,500 for dentists and $500 for dental hygienists and assistants

Learn more and register: https://buff.ly/PGv3x59

Rural Health Improvement for Pediatric Treatment in Dental Essential Services (RHIP-TIDES) Explore the continuing education program of rural health dentistry at the MUSC College of Dental Medicine.

Oral Health is Health!

On the first day of the legislative session, we gathered in Raleigh in support of increased Medicaid reimbursement rates for dental services.

Thank you to our speakers:
• Senator Gale Adcock (D-16)
• Senator Jim Burgin (R-12)
• Senator Kevin Corbin (R-50)
• Crystal Adams, Director of NCOHC, part of Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation
• Dr. Shelley Olson, President of North Carolina Dental Society
• Dr. Frank Courts, Pediatric Dentist and Children’s Oral Health Advocate
• Kristen Jarrell, Alexander County resident and licensed foster parent in Wilkes County
• Neil Harrington, Senior Director of Policy and Research at NC Child

Thank you for all who attended for your presence and support at this event. Want to help even more? Contact your state legislators and ask them to support this bill!

State-level advocacy has never been more important.

At the National Oral Health Conference last week, the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health and American Network of Oral Health Coalitions hosted a panel discussion to examine the essential role of state coalitions in advancing systems change amid growing pressures. These coalitions are increasingly on the front lines of protecting hard-won progress in oral health.

Crystal Adams, Director of the NC Oral Health Collaborative, and Mary Backley, CEO of the Maryland Dental Action Coalition, spoke about recent state-level policy successes and discussed how a unified advocacy approach can lead to lasting change.

We all learned how collective action can help us go farther together than alone!

📢 NCOHC is coordinating a Press Conference!

Next Tuesday (April 21) at 10am, we will gather in Raleigh to discuss a proposed bill, “Increase the Medicaid Reimbursement Rate for Dental Services.”

The bill is sponsored by Senator Gale Adcock, with Senators Jim Burgin and Kevin Corbin serving as co-sponsors, reflecting strong bipartisan support for improving access to oral health care in North Carolina.

This legislation represents an important opportunity to address longstanding barriers to care by increasing Medicaid dental reimbursement rates—an essential step toward expanding provider participation and improving access for patients across the state.

📢 WHAT: Press Conference Announcing Proposed Legislation
📅 WHEN: Tuesday, April 21, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.
📍 WHERE: North Carolina Legislative Building, Press Room (Room 1328), Raleigh
🎙️ WHO: Sen. Gale Adcock (Bill Sponsor), Sen. Kevin Corbin (Co-Sponsor); NCOHC; NC Dental Society; oral health providers and advocates

We would greatly value your presence and support at this event.

Bipartisan Bill Aims to Expand Access to Dental Care by Increasing Medicaid Reimbursement Rates | NCOHC by Ethan Chupp | Apr 17, 2026

How can we make Oral Health better in North Carolina? Last week, our Collaborative Acceleration Team met in Raleigh to give us a clear direction.

At the new building of the NC Department of Health and Human Services, we discussed:

• Our recent organizational successes, and plans for sustaining our work in the future
• Our new National and State Collaborations, including with the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA), and NC Center on the Workforce for Health
• Our 2026 legislative priorities, including revisions to the practice rules for dental hygienists and an increase in Medicaid reimbursement

In the next year, NCOHC is committed to grounding our work in partner input, creative problem solving, and an unwavering commitment to improving oral health care across the state of North Carolina.

Thank you to all who joined us and contributed your time and experience!

Last week, NCOHC, visited the General Assembly to advocate for oral health care.

We spoke to State Senators and Representatives about our mission to support safety net dental clinics across the state. We hope for bipartisan support for our initiatives to strengthen the oral health system.

FHLI’s NCOHC remains committed to fighting for our vision, that all North Carolinians deserve access quality oral health care.

Think you understand The Strain on North Carolina’s Dental Workforce?

You’ll learn even more about it in our newest blog post!

In our series exploring the oral health workforce in North Carolina, we spoke with Dr. Alex Green, Chief Dental Officer of Appalachian Mountain Health. We discussed Federally Qualified Health Centers and their role in improving the oral health system, especially in rural areas.

In case you missed it: Our March Newsletter was released last week

This edition of Something to Chew On covers the School-Based Oral Health Conference and the Western North Carolina Spring Convening, updates on the profound impacts of water fluoridation, and our new blog post about Federally Qualified Health Centers, plus a few upcoming events you should know about!

NCOHC attended a great event last week with Healthier United! The NCOHC team met Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed and Rep. Grant Campbell as we learned how to debate a little more functionally about the challenges facing the North Carolina healthcare system.

On March 20, members of the Western North Carolina Oral Health Collaborative (WNCOHC) gathered in Lake Junaluska to discuss accomplishments, ongoing initiaves, and priorities for the upcoming year.

At this meeting, the NCOHC team shared updates on their efforts to strengthen workforce development, communication, and policy priorities.

Key speakers included Neil Harrington, Director of Policy and Research at NC Child, and Dr. Alex Green, Chief Dental Officer of Appalachian Mountain Health.

# WNCOHC