Despite being one of the most preventable health issues, poor oral health remains widespread in Arkansas, where the state consistently ranks near the bottom in national oral health indicators. Healthy Smiles, Healthy Lives is a statewide initiative designed to better understand how Arkansans perceive oral health, the barriers they face in accessing dental care, and the opportunities that exist to improve oral health outcomes across the state.
Our Approach
Healthy Smiles, Healthy Lives was intentionally designed as a listening-first initiative, bringing together research, storytelling, and community engagement.
Statewide Listening Tour & Research
A listening tour across Arkansas was conducted to engage residents, health care providers, community leaders, and policymakers. Through in-person interviews, focus groups, and a statewide survey, the project gathered both qualitative and quantitative insights.
Report: Insights, Challenges, and Opportunities
The Healthy Smiles, Healthy Lives Report captures what Arkansans shared about their oral health realities. Many understand oral health is connected to overall health, but still face structural barriers to care.
Documentary: Bringing the Stories to Life
The Healthy Smiles, Healthy Lives documentary brings the data to life through real stories from Arkansans and shows how oral health challenges impact daily life. It also elevates resilience and community-led progress.
Be part of changing the story of oral health in Arkansas.
Oral health is about dignity, opportunity, and equity. Learn the facts, hear real stories, and take action at home, in your community, and across the state.
Contact Us
Learn & Share
Attend or host a film screening, explore Arkansas oral health data, and help break the stigma by sharing what you’ve learned with your family, friends, and networks.
Dental Care Resources
Utilize Resources
Take care of your smile and help others do the same. Find free and low-cost dental care, school-based services, and community programs available across Arkansas.
Arkansas Oral Health Coalition
Speak Up
Make oral health part of the conversation. Connect with others to support oral health policy, advocacy, and education initiatives across the state.
Office of Oral Health
Support Prevention
Protect what’s working. Support evidence-based prevention efforts like community water fluoridation, school sealant programs, and preventive care for children.
Contact Us
Get Involved
Turn awareness into action. Volunteer, partner with local organizations, or support advocacy efforts that expand access to dental care in rural and underserved communities.
Past Events
Film Screening at Ron Robinson Theater
Held at the historic Ron Robinson Theater, the Healthy Smiles, Healthy Lives Little Rock screening opened with a screening of the documentary—an intimate look at Arkansas’s oral health challenges and the people working every day to close gaps in access to care. Through powerful personal narratives and expert insight, the film illuminated how oral health is deeply connected to overall wellness, economic stability, and quality of life.
Following the screening, attendees engaged in a live panel discussion featuring voices from the film and the dental health community. Panelists explored the intersection of oral health, mental health, and systemic barriers to care, emphasizing community-based solutions and the importance of reducing stigma around dental care to inspire confidence and action.
The event concluded with a Community Health Fair, where local organizations and vendors shared resources, wellness information, and opportunities for ongoing engagement, encouraging community members to stay involved and advocate for healthier communities.
Past Events
Film Screening at Ron Robinson Theater
Held at the historic Ron Robinson Theater, the Healthy Smiles, Healthy Lives Little Rock screening opened with a screening of the documentary—an intimate look at Arkansas’s oral health challenges and the people working every day to close gaps in access to care. Through powerful personal narratives and expert insight, the film illuminated how oral health is deeply connected to overall wellness, economic stability, and quality of life.
Following the screening, attendees engaged in a live panel discussion featuring voices from the film and the dental health community. Panelists explored the intersection of oral health, mental health, and systemic barriers to care, emphasizing community-based solutions and the importance of reducing stigma around dental care to inspire confidence and action.
The event concluded with a Community Health Fair, where local organizations and vendors shared resources, wellness information, and opportunities for ongoing engagement, encouraging community members to stay involved and advocate for healthier communities.
Film Screening at Mount Sequoyah
The Fayetteville screening of Healthy Smiles, Healthy Lives expanded the conversation on oral health by blending film, dialogue, and creative expression into a deeply engaging community event that promoted participation and advocacy.
Designed as an interactive activation, the event welcomed attendees to a space centered on wellness, storytelling, and healing. The documentary screening invited audiences to reflect on the real-life experiences of individuals and families navigating Arkansas’s oral health landscape, while also uplifting the dentists, advocates, and organizations committed to expanding access to care.
A facilitated panel discussion followed the screening, connecting the film’s themes to broader conversations about mental health, stigma, and trust in healthcare systems. Panelists emphasized the importance of compassionate care models and culturally responsive approaches that recognize the whole person, not just the patient.
By combining storytelling, art, and dialogue, the event encouraged attendees to view oral health as an essential part of overall wellness and to envision new, inclusive pathways to care and healing.
Film Screening at Mount Sequoyah
The Fayetteville screening of Healthy Smiles, Healthy Lives expanded the conversation on oral health by blending film, dialogue, and creative expression into a deeply engaging community event that promoted participation and advocacy.
Designed as an interactive activation, the event welcomed attendees to a space centered on wellness, storytelling, and healing. The documentary screening invited audiences to reflect on the real-life experiences of individuals and families navigating Arkansas’s oral health landscape, while also uplifting the dentists, advocates, and organizations committed to expanding access to care.
A facilitated panel discussion followed the screening, connecting the film’s themes to broader conversations about mental health, stigma, and trust in healthcare systems. Panelists emphasized the importance of compassionate care models and culturally responsive approaches that recognize the whole person, not just the patient.
By combining storytelling, art, and dialogue, the event encouraged attendees to view oral health as an essential part of overall wellness and to envision new, inclusive pathways to care and healing.
