Whole-Child Health Starts Here: The Power of Oral Health

Описание: As we launch the renewed Texas Oral Health Coalition, we are reimagining the role of oral health in strengthening the health, development, and long-term opportunity of Texas children.

Oral health is much more than dental care; it shapes how children eat, speak, learn, socialize, and thrive. It influences school readiness, family well-being, chronic disease prevention, and the broader foundations of lifelong health. Yet its impact is often overlooked in conversations about child well-being.

Join us to explore how elevating oral health as an essential component of whole-child health can create new opportunities for prevention, access, and collaboration across Texas. A cross-sector panel of experts will share insights on opportunities for partnership and systems change in the coalition’s next chapter.

Learning Objectives:
1) Understand the connection between oral health and children’s overall health, development, and opportunity.
2) Identify key opportunities to integrate and elevate oral health within broader child- and family-serving systems.
3) Discover ways to connect with the renewed Texas Oral Health Coalition and contribute to shared statewide priorities.

Speakers:
Carmen Martinez, DDS, MBA
Associate Dental Director & Clinical Practice Consultant, Driscoll Health Plan, Corpus Christi Business Center

Joaquin Villegas, MD, MPH, FAAFP
Assistant Professor, Family & Community Medicine, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, Medical Director, Urgent Care at Outpatient Center

Ankit Sanghavi, MPH, BDS
Executive Director, Texas Health Institute
Facilitator