Plan to create accessible oral health care

MARQUETTE — Michigan residents could be looking at better access to oral health care through a collaborated plan put on by the Michigan Oral Health Coalition and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

The plan intends to improve Michigan’s oral health by 2020 by meeting three critical goals. These include easing access to oral health care for under served populations, increasing education on the importance of oral health, and strengthening integration between oral health and medical providers.

According to the Michigan Oral Health Coalition’s website, over fifty percent of Michigan families who made less than 20,000 dollars annually did not have dental care in the last year.

Individuals who are not given proper oral health care can face serious health problems, such as hypertension and diabetes.

“Prevention, proper and good dental hygiene, brushing and flossing, proper nutrition, you know those things and those types of things make for a healthier mouth and lessen the likelihood that people will have to deal with dental problems” said by Dentist, Chris Wilkinson.

The plan also wants to work with the 900 public school districts in the state to create more education programs on oral health.