WV Oral Health Coalition

08/20/2026

💉 Every Recommendation Matters.

What role can oral health professionals play in increasing HPV vaccination—especially in rural communities?

Hear from Dr. Heather Owens, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Systems and Policy in the School of Pharmacy and the Department of Cancer Prevention and Control in the School of Medicine at WVU, as she explores how conversations in the dental setting can help promote HPV vaccination and cancer prevention.

🎥 Take a look at this preview of Dr. Owens’ Summit session, “Every Recommendation Matters: Empowering Oral Health Professionals to Promote HPV Vaccination.”

And she’s just one of the dynamic speakers joining us at this year’s WV Oral Health Summit!

⏰ Summit registration closes Monday, August 24.

👉 Reserve your seat today and join us September 11 at Oglebay Resort!

08/10/2026

🦷 Dental assistants—this one is for YOU!

Ready to get out of the classroom and get hands-on?

At this year’s WV Oral Health Summit, Kim Lowe, RDA, Owner & Consultant of Elevate Dental Solutions, is bringing an expanded duties training experience designed to help dental assistants build skills, gain confidence, and take what they learn straight back to their practices.

This isn’t your typical sit-and-listen CE course.

✨ Get hands-on
💪 Build confidence
📚 Expand your skills
🚀 Work within your full legal scope
🤝 Strengthen your entire dental team

When we educate and empower dental assistants, we strengthen the entire dental workforce—and that means greater efficiency and, ultimately, greater access to care for West Virginians.

If you're a dental assistant in West Virginia, don't miss this opportunity to invest in yourself and your career.

📍 Oglebay Resort | Wheeling, WV
📅 September 11, 2026

🎥 Hear directly from Kim, then register today!

https://summit.wvohc.org/

Tag a dental assistant who needs to be in this room! 👇

08/08/2026

👀 **You’re already looking at the mouth every day. But what if you started seeing beyond the teeth?**

At the 2026 WV Oral Health Summit, **Samantha Dieringer, RDH** will challenge us to look at our patients through a different clinical lens.

**Let’s Talk Myo: The Therapy You Didn’t Know Your Patients Needed**

Samantha will explore how to:
✨ Recognize clues that may point to myofunctional concerns
✨ Ask better questions
✨ Connect what you’re seeing in your chair to myofunctional therapy
✨ Add another layer to the way you care for your patients

This isn’t about changing the way you practice—it’s about **seeing more in the patients you already treat.**

🎥 Watch Samantha’s quick preview, then come to the Summit **curious and ready to see your patients differently.**

📍 Oglebay Resort | Wheeling, WV
📅 September 11, 2026

👉 **Register today and bring a colleague who would benefit from a fresh clinical perspective!**

https://summit.wvohc.org/

08/06/2026

West Virginia’s oral health community is coming together—and we want you to be part of the conversation! 🦷💙

Join us for the 2026 West Virginia Oral Health Summit at Oglebay Resort on September 11 for a day of learning, connection, collaboration, and ideas that can help shape the future of oral health across our state.

Whether you work in dentistry, public health, education, healthcare, community outreach, or advocacy, your voice and perspective matter.

-Engage with leaders and colleagues from across West Virginia
-Build meaningful partnerships
-Gain practical knowledge and fresh ideas
-Be part of the conversation advancing oral health for all West Virginians

Hear directly from WVOHC Executive Director Gina Sharps about why this year’s Summit is an event you won’t want to miss!

👉 Register today: https://summit.wvohc.org/

Tag a colleague who should join you! ⬇️

07/24/2026

Calling all Dental Assistants!

You asked, we listened, and it’s back!

Please see below on how to register for the Expanded Duties for the Restorative Dental Assistant Training.

The training will be held as part of this years 2026 WV Oral Health Summit, and will be led by two outstanding leaders(Kim Lowe, Erwin)

Class size is limited so be sure to lock in your seat now.

06/24/2026

Registration is now officially open for this years 2026 WV Oral Health Summit!

📍 Location: Oglebay Resort & Conference Center – Wheeling, WV
📅 Date: September 11, 2026
✅ Cost: $75.00, which includes CE processing and conference meals
This year's planning committee has put together another GREAT meeting-You don't want to miss it!

Registration is available here:
https://summit.wvohc.org/

Payment may be made online by credit card or by check mailed by August 31.

Participants may earn up to 7 CEUs.

Friday, September 11, 2026Oglebay Resort and Conference Center465 Lodge Dr,Wheeling, WV 26003

06/18/2026

Last week, our WVOHC had the honor and privilege of standing with our colleagues at Health Access Free Clinic as they
celebrated the ribbon cutting and grand reopening of the Susan Dew Hoff Clinic in West Milford.

Friday was an important milestone in the effort to expand access to oral and dental healthcare for uninsured and underserved patients in Southern Harrison County and surrounding communities.

Well done to all those at Health Access! You’re building on a beautiful legacy. Sister Fidler would be so proud 💜🦷💜
Josh Brown
Vanessa DeRubis Bowles

IT'S OPEN: One of the most critical, and hidden, pieces of Harrison County's well-being infrastructure is bigger, and better.
https://bit.ly/3QHdqEx

06/11/2026

Well done West Virginia Primary Care Association! A most gracious thank you for the invitation to share a breakout session “From Barriers to Brighter Smiles: Improving Oral Health in Schools” presented by Tiffany Summerlin Gina Sharps
Great and engaging discussion and we were honored to be a part of this years event🌟

06/02/2026

Registration is now officially open for the 2026 WV Oral Health Summit!

📍 Location: Oglebay Resort & Conference Center – Wheeling, WV
📅 Date: September 11, 2026

Registration is available here, Https://summit.wvohc.org or
by scanning the QR code below.

The registration fee for this year’s summit is $75.00, which includes:

· Continuing Education (CE) processing
· Conference meals and refreshments
· Access to all plenary and breakout sessions

Payment may be made online by credit card or by check mailed by August 31.

Participants may earn up to 7 CEUs.

Featured Plenary Sessions

Age One and Done: Implementing the First Dental Visit with Confidence

Dr. Meghan Bastin
West Virginia University School of Dentistry

Beyond the Scripts: Where Oral Health Wellness Meets the Neighborhood

Dr. Sean Boynes
Founding Member, Maverick Smith

From Ideas to Impact: Co-Creating Workforce Solutions

Panel discussion featuring representatives from:

· WV Board of Dentistry
· HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce-Division of Medicine and Dentistry
· WV State Dental Director and Additional state partners

Exploring Effective Communication Strategies Around Community Water Fluoridation

Caroline Le
CareQuest Institute for Oral Health

Breakout Sessions

1. Sweet Truths: Detecting Diabetes Risk in the Dental Office
2. Skill-Stacking with SDF and Fluoride Varnish
3. HPV Vaccination: Hit Me with Your Best Shot
4. Turning Challenges into Care Plans: Managing Medical Complexity in Dentistry

We look forward to welcoming you to Oglebay Resort & Conference Center on September 11, 2026, for a day of collaboration, education, and innovation in oral health.

05/22/2026

The WVOHC has had a fantastic week sharing, connecting , and learning from several of our local and state partners including North Central West Virginia Community Action Head Start, Vandalia Health Network (thank you Amy Wood Kirk with Wellpoint for co-presenting), and the Mountains of Hope Cancer Coalition

As a reminder for both new members and friends, the WVOHC has multiple resources highlighting topics ranging from the call for legislation to assist individuals with oral health complications caused from cancer treatment, to strategies to help improve access to oral health care.

Resources shared this week with partners included the Beyond the Waiting Room Brief, the Meaningful Dentist Study, and our new Oral Health and Cancer Rights video (a special thank you to for their partnership on the video) all of which are found on our WVOHC RESOURCES page⭐️