Dentists as Community Partners: Supporting Whole-Person Health Through Local Dental Engagement - Live Healthy Lane & Nourish Lane Alliance, CCDS September E-News

 

Image by Thomas G. from Pixabay]

Live Healthy Lane is a countywide and regional collaboration working to create a healthier community for everyone. The 2026-2030 Community Health Improvement Plan guides that work by identifying local priorities. The plan is built on listening to community members and health system partners about how to make health services more affordable and inclusive, so coordinated and meaningful action can follow.

Nourish Lane, a community coalition working to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, contributes directly to these priorities through education, collaboration, and community-driven strategies that make healthier beverage choices more accessible. Nourish Lane’s work is intentionally aligned with the Community Health Improvement Plan and provides an opportunity for dental providers and other partners to connect around resources, education, and strategies that support healthier beverage choices for children, families, and the wider community.

Live Healthy Lane is committed to Affordable, Inclusive Health Services, and local dental providers are essential partners in bringing that mission to life. Below are ways your clinic can make a meaningful difference, including reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, which is a core dental health strategy supported by both the Lane County Prevention Plan and the efforts of Nourish Lane.

1.      Reduce Barriers to Care Through Community Health Fairs

Throughout the year, there are opportunities for dentists to join or host community health fairs and offer preventative screenings, oral hygiene education, and referrals to care. These events often connect attendees  with additional social and healthcare resources  that help reduce costs, improve access to transportation, and increase awareness of available services and programs. Beyond improved health outcomes, dentists who participate in community events build trust and strengthen patient loyalty.

2.      Bring Care to Schools with Fluoride Varnish Programs

Applying fluoride varnish in schools is a proven, low-cost strategy that reduces tooth decay by around 30 percent in both primary and permanent teeth. Delivering this service directly in schools helps overcome common barriers like transportation and cost. Classroom-based hygiene education and take-home supplies can also increase awareness and help position your practice as both community-centered and deeply supportive of local families.

3.      Engage in Sugar-Sweetened beverage Reduction Strategies

Reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is a core strategy for cavity prevention, and dental providers play a key role.

• Frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is linked to significantly higher caries and erosion risk. Research shows this risk affects 60 to 90 percent of school-aged children and most adults.
•  For children, caries can affect nutrition, physical development, and weight gain. CDC data also shows that regular consumption among young children (ages 1-5) is associated with 1.7 to 2.8 times greater odds of experiencing cavities. 

Ways Dental Clinics can help reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption include:

• Incorporate brief screening questions into patient assessments and offer clear guidance on reducing sugary drink habits.
•  Provide handouts or posters about healthy drink choices and organize “sugar swap” healthy beverage challenges.       
• Refer patients and families to community nutrition programs and workshops, such as those supported by Nourish Lane, that support healthier beverage decisions.

1.      Connect Patients to Community Resources

You can amplify your impact by sharing information about local resources, such as transportation programs, clinics accepting Medicaid and Medicare, nutrition workshops, and oral health education tools. Acting as a connector enhances patients’ ability to follow through with care and supports whole-person health. As the expert on your patient population, you are best positioned to know which resources will be most helpful. Even as small resource section with pamphlets, posters, and information can make a meaningful difference. 

If you are interested in learning more about any of these strategies, whether to become more involved in your community or to support the local plans developed by community members, please contact us. We can connect you with local events, schools, and a wide variety of social and health-related resources. Visit www.LiveHealthyLane.org, follow us on Facebook @LiveHealthyLane, or email us at Health@LiveHealthyLane.org.

We look forward to partnering with you, because together we can do more than each of us can do alone.

Citations

Fluoride varnish in schools and preventive impact: Oral Health: School Fluoride Varnish Delivery Programs (Community Preventive Services Task Force)

Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and caries risk (systematic reviews): Effect of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages on Oral Health (European Journal of Public Health, 2021; PubMed meta-analysis)

SSB consumption and cavity risk among children ages 1–5: Caregiver-Reported Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption and Cavities in Children (CDC, Preventing Chronic Disease, 2025)