Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Oral health
State of Oral Health in America: Key Findings from 2026
Details the findings of a survey that aims to identify gaps in dental coverage, barriers to care, and areas that have worse overall oral health outcomes across the country. Compares metro and nonmetro areas by dental insurance coverage, adult dental visits, and overall oral health.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
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Details the findings of a survey that aims to identify gaps in dental coverage, barriers to care, and areas that have worse overall oral health outcomes across the country. Compares metro and nonmetro areas by dental insurance coverage, adult dental visits, and overall oral health.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
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Teledentistry in Health Centers: Promising Practices for Increasing Access to Oral Health Care
Highlights several promising practices using teledentistry to increase oral health access. Explores how five different programs in urban areas, and one in rural South Dakota, are using teledentistry via health centers to address workforce shortages and expand oral health access.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Network for Oral Health Access
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Highlights several promising practices using teledentistry to increase oral health access. Explores how five different programs in urban areas, and one in rural South Dakota, are using teledentistry via health centers to address workforce shortages and expand oral health access.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Network for Oral Health Access
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Arkansas Older Adult Basic Screening Survey Report 2026: A Look into the Oral Health of High Risk Older Adults in Arkansas
Reports on the oral health of adults aged 60 and older in Arkansas using 2026 Arkansas Older Adult Basic Screening Survey data. See pages 7-8 for county-level data and metro-nonmetro comparisons.
Author(s): Sheree Huntsman, Brooke Mehner, Rachel Sizemore
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Department of Health
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Reports on the oral health of adults aged 60 and older in Arkansas using 2026 Arkansas Older Adult Basic Screening Survey data. See pages 7-8 for county-level data and metro-nonmetro comparisons.
Author(s): Sheree Huntsman, Brooke Mehner, Rachel Sizemore
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Department of Health
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Health Professional Shortage Areas: Dental Care
Printable map that shows nonmetropolitan and micropolitan dental care HPSAs on one color scale and metropolitan dental care HPSAs on another. Data source: data.HRSA.gov
Additional links: Dental Health HPSA Table
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Printable map that shows nonmetropolitan and micropolitan dental care HPSAs on one color scale and metropolitan dental care HPSAs on another. Data source: data.HRSA.gov
Additional links: Dental Health HPSA Table
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Promoting Your Teaching Health Center Dental Residency
Toolkit offering strategies to reach dental students and encourage them to consider residency programs in Teaching Health Centers. Full access to toolkit requires a free Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) account.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: 3RNET, THCGME.org, The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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Toolkit offering strategies to reach dental students and encourage them to consider residency programs in Teaching Health Centers. Full access to toolkit requires a free Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) account.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: 3RNET, THCGME.org, The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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Rural vs. Urban Patterns of Dental Care Services and Outcomes among Medicaid-Enrolled Children in Early Childhood
Describes rural and urban patterns of preventive and restorative dental care and oral health outcomes among Medicaid-enrolled children aged 2 through 5 in 2021-2022. Includes data on the percent of children who received any preventive dental services, children with fewer than 2 cleanings per year, and number of dental caries diagnosed each year by rurality.
Author(s): Cassie Odahowski, Joni Nelson, Amy Martin, et al.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
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Describes rural and urban patterns of preventive and restorative dental care and oral health outcomes among Medicaid-enrolled children aged 2 through 5 in 2021-2022. Includes data on the percent of children who received any preventive dental services, children with fewer than 2 cleanings per year, and number of dental caries diagnosed each year by rurality.
Author(s): Cassie Odahowski, Joni Nelson, Amy Martin, et al.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
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Whole Person Care During and After Pregnancy
Webinar discussing how integrated care teams can support maternal and infant health in Texas via oral health care, care coordination, collaboration, and other aspects of whole-person care. Discusses rural Texas communities throughout, with special focus on those in East Texas.
Author(s): Kia Parsi, Jacquelyn Alvarado, Stephen Patrick, Ankit Sanghavi
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Texas Health Institute, Texas Oral Health Coalition, Texas Primary Care Consortium
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Webinar discussing how integrated care teams can support maternal and infant health in Texas via oral health care, care coordination, collaboration, and other aspects of whole-person care. Discusses rural Texas communities throughout, with special focus on those in East Texas.
Author(s): Kia Parsi, Jacquelyn Alvarado, Stephen Patrick, Ankit Sanghavi
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Texas Health Institute, Texas Oral Health Coalition, Texas Primary Care Consortium
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Medicaid Opportunities to Strengthen Oral Health Access In Rural Communities
Discusses how workforce innovations, teledentistry, rural workforce pipelines, and the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) can improve oral healthcare access for Medicaid recipients in rural communities.
Author(s): Madeline Steward
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Discusses how workforce innovations, teledentistry, rural workforce pipelines, and the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) can improve oral healthcare access for Medicaid recipients in rural communities.
Author(s): Madeline Steward
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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2026 County-Level Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment in Kansas
Provides information on health insurance marketplace enrollment in Kansas from November 1, 2025 to January 15, 2026. Includes health insurance enrollment data by congressional district, county, and ZIP code, as well as county-level data on standalone dental plan enrollment.
Additional links: 2026 Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment by Congressional District, 2026 Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment by County, 2026 Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment by ZIP Code, 2026 Health Insurance Marketplace Standalone Dental Plan Enrollment by County
Author(s): Viktoria Sterkhova, Madison Hoover, Cynthia Snyder
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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Provides information on health insurance marketplace enrollment in Kansas from November 1, 2025 to January 15, 2026. Includes health insurance enrollment data by congressional district, county, and ZIP code, as well as county-level data on standalone dental plan enrollment.
Additional links: 2026 Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment by Congressional District, 2026 Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment by County, 2026 Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment by ZIP Code, 2026 Health Insurance Marketplace Standalone Dental Plan Enrollment by County
Author(s): Viktoria Sterkhova, Madison Hoover, Cynthia Snyder
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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South Dakota Health Professional Shortage Areas: Dental Healthcare
County-level South Dakota map showing geographic, population, and automatic Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: South Dakota Office of Rural Health
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County-level South Dakota map showing geographic, population, and automatic Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: South Dakota Office of Rural Health
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