Kentucky Oral Health Coalition

02/20/2026

In case you missed it, registration for our March Quarterly Meeting is open!

Register🔗 : https://bit.ly/4qKgQSU

On March 17th, join partners and advocates from across Kentucky to virtually connect and stay informed on key oral health efforts happening throughout this legislative session. Dental and dental hygiene CEUs will be available for current KOHC members. Not a member? Follow the link after registration. A special thanks to CareQuest Institute for Oral Health for their support of this meeting.

02/12/2026

Healthy smiles start at home! In our latest guest blog, Dr. Cristina Perez, pediatric dentist, shares essential tips for providers, caregivers, and policymakers to keep children's health in mind all February long. Read now: https://bit.ly/4rNemnx

Guest blog by Cristina Perez, DDS, MS: February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, and as a pediatric dentist, I see this month as more than a reminder to brush and floss. It’s an opportunity to reflect on how oral health is inseparable from a

02/06/2026

Advocates, mark your calendars!
Our March Quarterly Meeting will on March 27th at 10AM EST. We will e sharing registration and agenda shortly, be sure to follow us on social media and sign up for our email blasts to stay updated: https://bit.ly/3WwfpLA

02/02/2026

KOHC celebrates National Children’s Dental Health Month, a time to highlight the importance of supporting oral health access for children and young people. Every child deserves a healthy smile so they can speak, eat, and learn without pain. In recognition of this month, we’re sharing basic oral hygiene tips to help young people stay healthy and engaged.

Read our latest blog to learn more: https://bit.ly/3ZdhGwi

February is the time to spread awareness about National Children’s Dental Health Month. Every child deserves a healthy smile so they can talk, eat, and learn without pain. Starting healthy routines early can make a lifelong difference, so here are some ways parents and

01/30/2026

New KOHC Resource!📣

In collaboration with National Fluoride Day (Jan 25th) we have released a new Fluoride FAQ Fact Sheet to support informed, evidence-based conversations about community water fluoridation in Kentucky. This FAQ is designed for advocates, oral health professionals, and community leaders in Kentucky and is available to print and share directly from our website. We encourage you to use this when speaking to legislators. Access today: https://bit.ly/4a2vsqm

01/29/2026

House Bill 103 has advanced out of committee. We ask all members to call their legislators and urge them to vote no on HB 103. Message line: 1-800-372-7181 Find your legislator: https://bit.ly/3VRiSE7

“Maintaining comprehensive community water-fluoridation programs promotes a healthy, more engaged workforce."

Kentucky requires water utilities serving more than 3,000 customers to add low levels of fluoride to drinking water.

01/29/2026

Latest in Frankfort: two bills related to water fluoridation have been filed. These bills propose to make community water fluoridation programs optional and allow local water entities to "opt out."

We will be monitoring these bills for movement and ask our advocates to call their Senator and Representatives to ask them to protect Kentucky's water fluoridation program.

Look up your state legislators: https://bit.ly/3VRiSE7

01/20/2026

2025 brought challenges for oral health in the U.S., from Medicaid cuts to fluoridation rollbacks, but we also heard powerful voices pushing for equity and access. Visit CareQuest Institute for Oral Health for a recap of the national scope of successes and setbacks on 2025:

2025 brought significant challenges for the oral health system in the US, deepening what many already believe is a crisis. About 72 million Americans lack dental insurance today. State-level decisions to eliminate community water fluoridation threatened access and prevention efforts. And federal cut...

01/20/2026

2025 brought challenges for oral health in the U.S., from Medicaid cuts to fluoridation rollbacks, but we also heard powerful voices pushing for equity and access. Visit CareQuest Institute for a recap of the national scope of successes & setbacks on 2025:

2025 brought significant challenges for the oral health system in the US, deepening what many already believe is a crisis. About 72 million Americans lack dental insurance today. State-level decisions to eliminate community water fluoridation threatened access and prevention efforts. And federal cut...

01/13/2026

KOHC’s policy priorities are set! These priorities reflect the needs we’re hearing across the state and will shape our advocacy efforts to advance equitable oral health for all Kentuckians in this legislative session. More updates to come on our blog and our email blasts. Stay connected: https://bit.ly/3WwfpLA

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas to all our oral health advocates! We wish you a safe and happy holiday, we look forward to advocating alongside you in the new year.

12/19/2025

Kentucky Youth Advocates has released this year’s interactive KIDS COUNT Data Dashboard, giving advocates, partners, and decision-makers powerful tools to explore trends in child well-being across the state.
For oral health champions, the connections between food insecurity, childhood obesity, and access to care are especially important. The data makes clear how economic barriers and limited access to healthy food shape kids’ health outcomes across Kentucky. KOHC members can help turn data into action by sharing these insights with partners and policymakers as we work toward healthier communities and better oral health for all Kentuckians. Learn more in our latest blog:

Last week marked the launch of the 2025 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Dashboard by Kentucky Youth Advocates (KYA). KYA has been releasing the Kentucky KIDS COUNT report to measure child well-being in Kentucky annually for 35 years. The Data Dashboard allows users to see how data for regions and neighbori...