“Dental therapy for Washingtonians is a reality because of the power built over 13 years by community, Tribal and state advocates to create accessible, equitable means of dental care.” – Emily Stewart (BOSTON, MA) – Community Catalyst joins partners Statewide Poverty Action Network and Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board in celebrating the bipartisan passage of legislation allowing more communities in Washington state to access routine, community-centered dental care through dental therapists. Washington joins a growing number of states broadly adopting dental therapy, a community-led and informed solution to care that addresses oral health inequities in underserved areas while also providing pathways to economic advancement within those communities.

Statement from Emily Stewart, executive director of Community Catalyst:

“This is an incredible milestone in our collective efforts to advance health system innovations that are grounded in the wants and needs of community. For too long, profits have been prioritized over public health and nowhere has that been truer than in the $100 billion dental industry. Alongside our partners in Washington, we celebrate this hard-fought victory which will provide immediate pathways for communities to get equitable, person-centered dental care.

“Dental therapy for Washingtonians is a reality because of the power built over 13 years by community, Tribal and state advocates to create accessible, equitable means of dental care. It is a testament to the fact that communities, not policymakers, know best where the gaps are in the health care system and how best to address them.

“We won’t stop until everyone has what they need to be healthy, and our health system is shaped by and accountable to all people.”

To read more, click here.