Foundation Role In Improving Oral Health – Nothing To Smile About
1/13/2008 web-based article Shelly Gehshan Health Affairs (content.healthaffairs.org) Dental care is the largest unmet health need among low-income children, yet it garners relatively little attention from policymakers and grantmakers. Foundation giving for dental education and dental care totaled $55.6 million in 2005—a mere 1.6 percent of total health grant making and 0.34 percent of total foundation giving. Health foundations have played a critical role in advancing the U.S. health care system. The need for investments from grantmakers to spur innovation and change in the dental care system is great. This paper describes a range of ideas for strategic grant making to improve oral health in the United States.