The Weekly Wednesday Update is our newsletter which we email every Wednesday with oral health, health and policy updates from around the state and nationally.

To view past issues click here.

 

May 20, 2026
Volume 17, Issue 19

 

 

Thank You to Our Platinum Sponsor!

For over 10 years, Delta Dental of Kansas has sponsored our annual conference. It empowers us to think how much they believe in our work. We are honored to recognize Delta Dental of Kansas as the first Platinum Sponsor of the 2026 Conference on Oral Health. Your generous support plays a vital role in helping us move forward with confidence and momentum.

If you’re interested in sponsoring our 2026 Conference on Oral Health, you can view the sponsorship levels here as well as exhibitor benefits. The conference will be on Friday, November 13 at the KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park. The event brings around 120-150 people from around the state and nation. It’s an opportunity to gain promotional exposure through event marketing and social media. If you choose to exhibit, we all know that meeting someone face to face is more memorable! Create memorable interactions with potential providers and consumers!

If you have any questions, email us at info@oralhealthkansas.org.

 

 

Sign on to Support Medicaid Dental Care

Early next month, Oral Health Kansas staff will join OPEN for Hill Day in Washington, DC. We plan to meet with every member of the Kansas congressional delegation to discuss the importance of protecting Medicaid dental coverage for Kansans. We will urge lawmakers to preserve the program and oppose potential cuts that could limit access to care.

As part of these efforts, Oral Health Kansas will deliver a sign-on letter from Kansas organizations that support Medicaid dental care. We invite your organization to add its name to the letter by Thursday, May 28. Read the letter here and sign on!

 

 

What are Value Added Benefits?

Did you know KanCare offers Value Added Benefits (VABs) that can help improve dental care access? What are VAB’s? Oral Health Kansas and the Pathways to Oral Health team are hosting a free CE opportunity for dental offices June 16 from 12:00 pm -12:30 pm.The Managed Care Organizations will be sharing the Value Added Benefits they offer to their KanCare (Medicaid) members.

Register for the webinar here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Staff Attends Council Meeting

Education Coordinator, Abby Richwine, attended the Kansas Maternal and Child Health Council (KMCHC) meeting in Topeka, where she provided an overview of the work being done at Oral Health Kansas. KMCHC brings together several organizations and groups in Kansas with a broad range of expertise, including many who have been working for years to address and improve health outcomes in Kansas and other states. Abby shared updates on the recent Medicaid reimbursement rate increases and highlighted the progress of the Pathways to Oral Health initiative. She also showcased the variety of resources available on the organization’s website, including tools for maternal and infant/child focus! We always enjoy sharing our resources with stakeholders.

If you have questions, email us at info@oralhealthkansas.org.

 

 

New CDT 2027 Code for Pediatric-to-Adult Transition Services

The American Association of Pediatric Dentistry recently announced a new “transition code.” This new dental code supports pediatric-to-adult transition services for patients with special health care needs. It recognizes the additional time and effort required to successfully prepare patients and their families and caregivers for the transition and to identify an appropriate adult dental care provider. Effective January 1, 2027, pediatric dentists are strongly encouraged to include the new transition code (D9998) on treatment records and claims forms when offering transition services for your patients with disabilities, and to educate your colleagues - particularly the adult providers to which you are or could be referring, to do so also.

• D9998 dental case management - pediatric-to-adult transition services, patients with special healthcare needs
• Planning, execution, and integration support for a patient (child or adult) with special healthcare needs transferring from a pediatric-centric to an adult-focused dental home. Includes patient/family/caregiver readiness assessment, education, and sustained bidirectional communication and care coordination with shared decision-making between pediatric and adult dental teams and the patient and family.

Please refer to the AAPD’s Policy on Transitioning from a Pediatric to an Adult Dental Home for Individuals with Special Health Care Needs for additional guidance on transition. The creation of a code has the potential, if adopted, utilized, and eventually reimbursed to do the following:

• Improve transition experiences for people with disabilities, their families, and caregivers
• Recognize pediatric and adult dental teams for the substantial time and effort required for comprehensive transitions
• Embed transition as a routine expectation across dental professionals and the dental care system

 

 

Upcoming Events

• Self paced courses: Providing Oral Health Care to Autistic Individuals and Caring for Individuals with Disabilities: Practical Considerations for Dental Providers.
• Community Care Network of Kansas annual conference, September 23-25 in Manhattan, Kansas. Learn more here.
• Kansas Public Health Association Conference, October 5 - 6, 2026 in Manhattan. Click here for information.
• Webinar: Rutgers University offering Perinatal Oral Health ECHO Series. Check out the list of series here.
• Save the date! The 2026 Conference on Oral Health will be Friday, November 13 at the KU Edwards Campus.

 

 

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Over the weekend Oral Health Kansas’ mascot Sippy marked a milestone with his graduation from law school. Leyton Brunner, who started volunteering at Oral Health Kansas as a child and went on to represent the organization as our water mascot Sippy, completed his studies at the KU School of Law. Next stop is the bar exam, and we are guessing he will be too busy in court to keep up his Sippy appearances. Good luck and congratulations to Leyton!

 

 

Sugary Drink Display

We have Adult and Children's Sugary Drink Display's available for reservations. These displays are eye catching at exhibits, schools, library, dental offices, clinics and just about anywhere you see them! We only have a limited amount so please sign up soon if you're interested in reserving one. Click here to learn more about sugary drink display reservations!