Applying Research to Advance Policy in Veteran Oral Health

When the American Institute of Dental Public Health (AIDPH) and CareQuest Institute for Oral Health began our veteran oral health initiative near the beginning of 2021, the policy landscape was confusing and disjointed. Veteran advocates had pushed for decades for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to expand eligibility for dental care with very little progress realized. Seeing both opportunity for impact and community need, AIDPH and CareQuest Institute began a joint research initiative in partnership with veteran service organizations to evaluate physical and oral health outcomes for veterans through the lens of oral health policy development. Using this model to create resources, tools, and publications tailored to target audiences created momentum for veteran oral health policy that centers an integrated healthcare approach. This session will share the framework used for conducting research that drives health policy while building a network of advocates for activation.