Grassroots efforts lead change in oral health care in Vermont

Today we applaud the people of Vermont for their leadership, as Gov. Peter Shumlin signs a new law making it possible for dental therapists to practice in their state. Voices for Vermont’s Children and their multi-sectored and diverse coalition members have worked tirelessly to bring new mid-level dental providers to the state. As a result, we believe fewer children in Vermont will suffer in pain or miss school due to untreated tooth decay.

Vermont joins Alaska, Minnesota and Maine, as well as tribes in Washington and Oregon, in recognizing the importance of adding mid-level dental providers to the dental team and transforming the dental care delivery system.

We stand with the people of Vermont and leaders in other states and across Indian Country where community-led efforts to improve oral health are beginning to take hold. And we look forward to a future where tooth decay is no longer the number one chronic illness affecting children in the U.S.

Since our founding in 1930, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation has supported community efforts to improve oral health for children and their families.  We believe that all children should have the opportunity to thrive — and having access to good oral health care is critical to a child’s overall health.

About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation 

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti.