Category: News

February is a time for double celebration!

Black History Month honors Black people’s contributions to and place in American history. National Children’s Dental Health Month spotlights the importance of good oral health for the youngest members of our communities.

Through our equity-led initiatives and programs, Arcora Foundation is committed to improve the oral and overall health of Black people and children. We partner with policy makers, state agencies, and community-based organizations to eliminate disparities and develop sustainable solutions so everyone in Washington state can reach their full health potential with no one left behind.

Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD), community water fluoridation, DentistLink, and MouthMatters is just some of our work that addresses disparities. Learn more about our programs and initiatives.

For Black History Month and National Children’s Dental Health Month, we’re pleased to celebrate the work of our partners at Children’s Alliance—a statewide child advocacy organization. Executive Director Dr. Stephan Blanford explains what he does, why he does it, and how Arcora helps make it possible.

“I’ve been a child advocate for nearly 25 years now. Before this role I was an education researcher, an elected school board director and a direct service provider. Though it may sound cliché, I do this work to pay back all those who have invested in me and my family. And to help create Rev. [Dr. Martin Luther] King [Jr.]’s ‘beloved community.’

“Like a point guard in basketball, I coordinate the passion, energy and talents of our staff, board, partners and 7,000 members across the state to achieve wins in the state legislature. These wins come in the form of policies that improve conditions for the state’s 1.7 million children, with a specific focus on those children and their families furthest away from their vast potential.

“Too many Black people live at the intersection of poor oral health and other societal mistreatments—among them, poverty, residential segregation, and poorly funded schools. And all of us face the insidious impacts of individual and institutional racism. Therefore, it is so, so important that we work relentlessly to recognize and eliminate these barriers. And that we, individually and collectively, hold our leaders accountable to take action on our behalf.

“As someone who has suffered when I didn’t have dental insurance or money to pay for a dentist visit, I know personally (and painfully) what lack of access means. And as an education researcher, I know that poor oral health access can lead to a lifetime of negative consequences for students and adults, impacting every aspect of their lives. 

“Arcora Foundation recognizes how critical oral health is in the overall health of children, their families and communities. Like Children’s Alliance, they focus their efforts on communities where access to critical services is limited to ensure that all residents of those communities can access good oral care. The Foundation’s support allows Children’s Alliance to engage and mobilize those communities, amplifying our influence with legislators.”

Dr. Stephan Blanford is executive director of Children’s Alliance. The organization helps people tap into their personal political power so they can advocate for change in their communities.

Celebrate National Native American Heritage Month.

Arcora Foundation is proud to honor Indigenous people across the region and their enduring legacy. As we continue to celebrate National Native American Heritage Month, we uplift the voices of our Native partners who strive to improve oral and overall health in their communities.

By Angela Johnson

My name is Angela Johnson, my ancestral name is Tat-Sem-Maat. On my dad’s side of the family, I am Lummi and Quinault from my grandfather and Tsawwassen First Nations from my grandmother. My mom is non-native.

I am a dental therapist for my tribe—Lummi Nation—here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. A dental therapist is a mid-level dental provider—like a physician’s assistant in medicine. I provide preventive and routine dental care—such as completing sealants and restorations. I can perform simple extractions—under the supervision of a dentist or when agreed between the supervising dentist and dental therapist— under indirect supervision. I also attend our tribal school and complete procedures there. My profession helps expand access to care to people and areas in need.

Angela at work in her dental clinic.

I love working in my community because I get to see a lot of my family—nieces, nephews, aunties, uncles, and too many cousins to count. We are a small population—Lummi Nation itself serves about 6,000 people—but that makes us a big family. My relationships with my patients are unique in that way. Everyone knows everyone.

When family members come for a dental visit and know they are seeing me, they are happy they can be with someone they know who truly cares about their oral health and is passionate about improving their quality of life. A nephew of mine came in for a filling with our pediatric specialist. He had a tough time cooperating. When I asked if he wanted to do his entire appointment with me, he nodded yes. When he came back for his next visit, we were able to numb him, remove caries—tooth decay—and do a filling. When things like this happen, it makes my job worthwhile. I have done a few more fillings with him, and his approach to the appointments has been much better.

Angela treats a patient.

A lot of my adult family members refused to come back to Lummi Dental due to past trauma from a dentist who had a bad reputation throughout the tribe. Unfortunately, this is common for tribal clinics in the U.S. Our reservations are underserved and usually rural. Some do not even have running water. When providers are hired to work for our tribes, they are not used to this type of situation and population. We have a higher turnover rate as a result.

When asked, “What do you do?” Simply put, I say I do my best. This work to provide my tribal community—people with the same background and from the same conditions as mine—with quality dental care means so much to me. One single visit can be so impactful, positively or negatively, and determine whether a patient comes back to my office or a dental office in general. Oral health affects self-esteem and overall health. Improving my community’s—my family’s—oral health definitely drives me to do my best and continue to deliver excellent care and education.

Angela helps a younger patient with proper brushing technique.

Organizations like Arcora Foundation play such an important and meaningful role for me and my position. Arcora advocates for better oral health for communities with disparities. They have supported us with funding for minimally invasive dentistry. This innovative approach to care tries to preserve the tooth and remove as little tooth structure as possible. They have helped with funding to travel for professional development opportunities and for prizes and supplies—oral hygiene kits, dry mouth supplies, sugar free options—for events. Arcora is a one-of-a-kind organization that makes a huge difference in oral health care. They truly understand and agree dental therapists are the innovative change needed in dentistry.

Angela Johnson is a dental therapist at Lummi Nation.

Personal reflections on the importance of equity in oral health.

By Matt Morton

As National Native American Heritage Month begins and I near the end of my first year on the Arcora Foundation Board of Trustees, I find myself contemplating the journey that led me to serve in this role. Being a Native American on a diverse board has provided a unique vantage point, allowing me to learn about the experiences of other communities and advocate for vital issues that resonate deeply with both my heritage and my passion for promoting equitable access to oral health care.

Unfluoridated water and an ‘inheritance of bad teeth’.

My decision to join Arcora Foundation stems from personal experience. Growing up in unincorporated Thurston County—on the same plot of land my grandmother was born on—I had no idea my life was different from any of my friends in Olympia. We attended the same schools and played on the same teams. My source of water, though, was different. If you’re not familiar with Olympia, let me tell you a secret: “It’s the Water.” Delicious, pure underground artesian wells provided my family with water for generations. It only had one problem: It didn’t have fluoride. With no systemic prevention, caries—the disease that causes tooth decay—were a regular occurrence growing up, and inheriting bad teeth became an acceptable explanation for the common occurrence of dental pain and fillings.

Many years later, as the executive director of the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) in Portland, I witnessed firsthand the disparity a community experiences when access to proper dental care is limited, including the far-reaching implications of diminished overall health. In 2014, I decided to do something about it. NAYA joined an effort to bring public water fluoridation to the City of Portland. While our efforts did not succeed, I became a member of a special task force that brought together fluoride advocates and opponents in the name of children’s dental health. Major water fluoridation proponents—Northwest Health Foundation and Kaiser Permanente—along with the largest in-state donor for the anti-water-fluoridation campaign funded and led the effort. The task force studied the most workable solutions for improving dental health outcomes for children in Multnomah County—where Portland is—and we made both policy and practice recommendations that are still in effect today. By joining the Arcora Foundation Board of Trustees, I’m continuing to address the disparities experienced by my community and so many others. It was Arcora’s inclusive approach to problem-solving that convinced me that my involvement could bring a valuable perspective to the table.

Arcora: a mission beyond dental services.

At Arcora, our mission extends beyond providing dental services; it encompasses a comprehensive, systems-level approach to promote oral health equity. By fostering partnerships with communities and the nonprofits that serve them, health care providers, and policymakers, we seek to implement sustainable initiatives that target populations who sit closest to the disparities. Our focus lies in bridging the gap between accessible care and those who need it the most. We work to ensure everyone has the opportunity for a healthy smile.

Being part of Arcora’s work has not only allowed me to contribute to a larger cause but has also served as a reminder of the transformative power of advocacy. Witnessing the positive impact of our programs on communities that have historically been neglected or underserved has reaffirmed my commitment. It’s not just about dental health; it’s about empowering individuals, fostering dignity, instilling a sense of well-being and community self-determination.

I do this work because of my community and my ancestors. It’s about ensuring that future generations won’t have to endure the same challenges; it’s about paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable future. It’s a future where access to health care, including oral health services, is not a privilege but a fundamental human right for everyone. This vision continues to drive me. Together, we can build a future where every smile reflects not just good oral health but of a community thriving in equity and compassion.

Matt Morton is an Arcora Foundation trustee and the president of the Community Foundation of Southwest Washington.