The State Action for Oral Health Access initiative was designed to address the disparities in access to dental services for low-income children and adults. State Action for Oral Health Access supported state-based model demonstration projects, including local system pilots, to test innovative and comprehensive approaches to expanding access to low-income, minority, and disabled populations served through Medicaid, SCHIP, and the public health system.

The initiative, managed by CHCS, funded six states — Arizona, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Vermont — to develop programs to improve the oral health delivery system.