Protecting Oklahoma’s Children

The Problem

With grant funding from the American Dental Association, the Oklahoma Dental Association led the effort in 2007 to create a Governor’s Task Force made up of private practice dental professionals and various state agencies to examine the condition of oral healthcare in Oklahoma – particularly the oral health of children.  

The Task Force met regularly for more than a year to discuss obstacles facing Oklahoma residents seeking affordable, quality dental care and education services. Several issues affecting children were found to be a lack of water fluoridation in certain communities, the shortage of dental professionals in rural parts of the state, and barriers to care for populations most in need of oral healthcare services.

The Solution

After more than a year’s work, the Task Force developed a list of recommendations for Gov. Brad Henry that outlined strategies to serve as guidelines to policymakers, advocates and the public to greatly improve the delivery of care and the state of oral health for children in Oklahoma. The ODA hired Waller & Company in May 2009 to pull together the Task Force’s extensive year-long findings and develop a published report that would lay the groundwork for improved care and access to dental services for all Oklahoma children.

Waller developed an informative, accessible 55-page report that detailed the current state of oral health for Oklahoma children and that supported the recommendations offered by the Governor’s Task Force. Human interest features were included throughout the report to “put a face” on the issues affecting Oklahoma residents and the successful dental programs already making a difference.

The Result

On Nov. 13, 2009, the final report – the state’s first oral health plan – was presented to the Oklahoma legislature at a “report release event” organized by Waller & Company. In the year since, the report has proven to be a valuable tool for educating Oklahomans about the need for improved healthcare for children and families. State leaders are addressing various issues in the report and working to establish an ongoing committee to continue implementation of these efforts for the state of Oklahoma.

CASE STUDIES