Mo. hires dental director

Missouri has hired B. Ray Storm, DDS, as state dental director. The position had been vacant since 2003.

The hiring of Dr. Storm to the position is due in large part to the efforts of Lichtenegger and the members of the Missouri House Oral Health Issue Development Committee. Lichtenegger's committee worked with the Missouri Coalition for Oral Health, Missouri Dental Association, and the Missouri Foundation for Health to bring the need for a dental director to the attention of the members of the General Assembly.

Lichtenegger, who worked as a dental hygienist for nearly 40 years, also led the effort to create the Missouri Oral Health Program to increase awareness of the importance of oral health, according to a press release.

Lichtenegger noted that a recent Pew Center on the States study found that 63% of Medicaid-enrolled children in Missouri did not receive dental care in 2011. The same study also found that only 11% of dentists take Medicaid patients.

The new dental director position will be paid for through contributions made by organizations who have supported the efforts to promote oral health in Missouri.