Dental Champions - Oral Health Kansas

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Dental Champions - Oral Health Kansas

Dental Champions is a leadership program developed by Oral Health Kansas.

The program offers participants leadership and personal development training as well as other training focused on planning and organizational skills and up-to-date information about the oral health scene in Kansas and the nation.

05/30/2026

We’re excited to welcome United Way of Kaw Valley to the Shawnee County Oral Health Coalition. United Way invests in communities and the whole family in Shawnee County. We’re looking forward to working with them!

If you’re interested in joining the Shawnee County Oral Health Coalition, you can email us at [email protected]. The group meets from 12-1 every other month.

05/29/2026

Did you know that there are value-added benefits available through the KanCare managed care organizations (MCOs) that help make it easier for people to access dental care? These are benefits in addition to what is covered by Medicaid. On June 16 from 12:00pm–12:30pm, join us and the three MCOs Healthy Blue, Sunflower Health Plan and United Healthcare as they explain what each of them provides for their members. This is a great FREE CE opportunity for dental offices to learn more!

Oral Health Kansas, the Kansas Dental Association, and the Pathways to Oral Health team are hosting this event! If you have any questions, you can reach out to us at [email protected].

You can register here at this link.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/KZIM450OTHKwaQh_Hh0Ktg #/registration

05/28/2026

As we reflect on Memorial Holiday this week, we wanted to highlight how important access to oral health for veterans is to us all. Veterans' access to dental care varies depending on their eligibility for benefits. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides dental benefits to some veterans, but the availability and extent of these benefits depends on several factors, such as service-connected disabilities, former prisoner of war status, and eligibility for VA healthcare. The VA offers comprehensive dental care services to certain veterans, including diagnostic,
preventive, and restorative treatments. However, these services are not automatically available to all veterans. Only about 26% of veterans are eligible. Veterans can check with their local
VA healthcare facility or visit the VA website for information on dental benefits and how to apply.

CareQuest Institute for Oral Health and the American Institute on Disparities in Public Health published a white paper, Veteran Oral Health: Expanding Access and Equity, focused on solutions supporting veteran oral health, physical health, and economic security. Providing veterans with access to affordable, high-quality dental care will improve their overall health and well-being while reducing immediate and long-term costs.
https://tinyurl.com/frzb5pma

In Kansas, 8.6% of the state population, or about 192,964 people, are veterans and about 8% of Veterans in Kansas have lost all their natural teeth. Next week, Oral Health Kansas will meet with the members of the Congressional delegation to raise awareness about gaps in access to oral healthcare for veterans and urge them to support HR 210, the Dental Care for Veterans Act. This bill would make dental care a standard benefit for all veterans enrolled in the VA system.

Kansas fact sheet: https://tinyurl.com/4dbrysxk
HR 210: https://tinyurl.com/4zcwc8mj

05/27/2026

The Oral Health Kansas staff are going to be in Washington, DC for Hill visits next week. We plan to meet with staff at each member of our Congressional delegation’s offices. One of the issues we will talk about is the importance of the Medicaid dental program. We know the program is important because it helps ensure that children, families, older adults, and people with disabilities can access essential oral healthcare regardless of income. Oral health is closely connected to overall health, and untreated dental problems can lead to pain, infection, missed school or work, and serious medical complications.

We will hand deliver a sign-on letter from Kansas organizations that support the Medicaid dental program. If you would like to include your organization’s name on the letter, you can fill out this form. We ask you to sign by this Thursday, May 28 so we have time to compile the list of organizations and make copies.

You can read the letter here: https://tinyurl.com/52atu2mb
Sign the form here:https://tinyurl.com/43z9kux6

Feel free to share this with your friends and colleagues!!

If you have any questions, email us at [email protected]

05/26/2026

The American Association of Pediatric Dentistry recently announced a new “transition code.” This new dental code supports pediatric-to-adult transition services for patients with special health care needs. It recognizes the additional time and effort required to successfully prepare patients and their families and caregivers for the transition and to identify an appropriate adult dental care provider. Effective January 1, 2027, pediatric dentists are strongly encouraged to include the new transition code (D9998) on treatment records and claims forms when offering transition services for your patients with disabilities, and to educate your colleagues – particularly the adult providers to which you are or could be referring, to do so also.

• D9998 dental case management – pediatric-to-adult transition services, patients with special healthcare needs
• Planning, ex*****on, and integration support for a patient (child or adult) with special healthcare needs transferring from a pediatric-centric to an adult-focused dental home. Includes patient/family/caregiver readiness assessment, education, and sustained bidirectional communication and care coordination with shared decision-making between pediatric and adult dental teams and the patient and family.

Please refer to the AAPD’s Policy on Transitioning from a Pediatric to an Adult Dental Home for Individuals with Special Health Care Needs for additional guidance on transition. The creation of a code has the potential, if adopted, utilized, and eventually reimbursed to do the following:
• Improve transition experiences for people with disabilities, their families, and caregivers
• Recognize pediatric and adult dental teams for the substantial time and effort required for comprehensive transitions
• Embed transition as a routine expectation across dental professionals and the dental care system

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, we honor and remember the brave men and women who served our country. As families gather for the holiday weekend, don’t forget to protect your smiles! Drink lots of water to stay hydrated, limit sugary drinks, and keep up with your brushing and flossing routines.

Wishing everyone a safe and healthy Memorial Day!

05/24/2026

For over 10 years, Delta Dental of Kansas has sponsored our annual conference. It empowers us to think how much they believe in our work. We are honored to recognize Delta Dental of Kansas as the first Platinum Sponsor of the 2026 Conference on Oral Health. Your generous support plays a vital role in helping us move forward with confidence and momentum.

If you’re interested in sponsoring our 2026 Conference on Oral Health, you can view the sponsorship levels here as well as exhibitor benefits. The conference will be on Friday, November 13 at the KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park. The event brings around 120-150 people from around the state and nation. It’s an opportunity to gain promotional exposure through event marketing and social media. If you choose to exhibit, we all know that meeting someone face to face is more memorable! Create memorable interactions with potential providers and consumers!

If you have any questions, email us at [email protected].

05/23/2026

Did you know KanCare offers Value Added Benefits (VABs) that can help improve dental care access? What are VAB’s? Oral Health Kansas and the Pathways to Oral Health team are hosting a free CE opportunity for dental offices June 16 from 12:00 pm -12:30 pm. The Managed Care Organizations will be sharing the Value Added Benefits they offer to their KanCare (Medicaid) members.

Register for the webinar here.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/KZIM450OTHKwaQh_Hh0Ktg

05/22/2026

Over the weekend Oral Health Kansas’ mascot Sippy marked a milestone with his graduation from law school. Leyton Brunner, who started volunteering at Oral Health Kansas as a child and went on to represent the organization as our water mascot Sippy, completed his studies at the KU School of Law. Next stop is the bar exam, and we are guessing he will be too busy in court to keep up his Sippy appearances. Good luck and congratulations to Leyton!

05/21/2026

Education Coordinator, Abby Richwine, attended the Kansas Maternal and Child Health Council (KMCHC) meeting in Topeka, where she provided an overview of the work being done at Oral Health Kansas. KMCHC brings together several organizations and groups in Kansas with a broad range of expertise, including many who have been working for years to address and improve health outcomes in Kansas and other states. Abby shared updates on the recent Medicaid reimbursement rate increases and highlighted the progress of the Pathways to Oral Health initiative. She also showcased the variety of resources available on the organization’s website, including tools for maternal and infant/child focus! We always enjoy sharing our resources with stakeholders.

If you have questions, email us at [email protected].

Address

PO Box 4567
Topeka, KS
66604

Telephone

+17852356069

Website

http://ksdentalchampions.org/

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